Introducing the Annuals first European album since 2006 is a voice that might well have stopped off at the studio on route to possessing a small girl in Pennsylvania. “Eyes in The Darkness….eyes in the darkness” it growls with a fair bit of menace. For those of a nervous disposition it thankfully doesn’t last for too long before the band kick in with an upbeat, but low-key calypso song. The basic nature of the keyboards might suggest that John Shuttleworth is an integral part of Annual’s set up, but at the time of writing at least, it would appear that this is not the case. As ‘Eyes in The Darkness’ progresses, it moves away from its rather inauspicious skeletal beginnings into a lush soundscape of buttoned-down bass runs, insistent guitar parts, and clever percussion.

This tendency for big, clever songs is in further evidence with’ Hot Night Hounds’, which belies the fact that Count The Rings was recorded in a DIY manner. The production here is faultless, with every musician being heard perfectly – which is quite a trick when the band in question is a septet. Taking the song from a spindly piano motif and adding layer upon layer to it, they build it into something approaching a spiritual wall of noise. If anything, there’s so much going on that it can be somewhat disorienting and confusing – almost too clever for its own good.

‘Springtime’ is a little bit more basic, relying on tried and tested method of alternating between the hushed, and all out bombast. The gentle tinkling piano introduction explodes into life courtesy of tribal drums and soaring vocals. From here in, the song positively radiates good vibes. With a bellowed refrain providing punctuating shockwaves, Annuals allow the song to accumulate a heady atmosphere, which culminates in a euphoric ending. It is quite possibly the best moment on the album.

‘Hair Don’t Grow’ has its roots (no pun intended) in a straight forward blues lick, but Adam Baker (Annuals’ main songwriter) can’t resist the urge to complicate matters, throwing in vocal harmonies, synths, and strings into the mix. As a result a song which is essentially a 12-bar workout, is swollen with ideas and just winds up sounding jumbled.

‘Loxstep’ suffers from a similar problem, with ideas and sounds emerging from the mix constantly, meaning that there’s not much in the way of coherence. However, there is an almighty central riff around which this wonky Latin American workout revolves. Although it ventures into similar quirky territory as The Honeymoon Killers’ Eurofreakerie Route Nationale 7, -which is at the very least, entertaining – a lack of focus means that essentially Loxstep misses more than it hits.

Although Annuals can venture into self indulgence and the occasional blind alley, they’re generally capable of much more. The likes of ‘Sweet Sister’ are designed as unrelenting dance numbers with propulsive Latin rhythms and irresistible vocal harmonies. On the flip side of these sprightly moments are the delicate melodies of ‘Hardwood Floor’ or the country inflected ‘Always Do’ – which provide two of the highlights on the album. When the band are concentrating on keeping things basic, they’re irresistible – the harmonies and slide guitars of Always Do in particular are heartbreaking, and when they work towards the climax, it’s hard not to get swept along with the emotion of it all.

Count The Rings is a frustrating record at times. Annuals are capable of creating some incredibly inspired music particularly when they’re all pulling in the same direction. When they’re throwing too much into the mix, it can be a little overwhelming, cluttering the initial vision. For the most part though, this is a fine summery album with some great harmonies and storming rhythms.