Lemuria's Recreational Hate bristles with subtle humour and quiet anxiety

Fortunately, it is. From the minute the "Sliver of Change"’s clattering guitars explode out of the mix, Recreational Hate asserts itself as an album of effervescent indie-pop that’s both charming and irreverent, and sincere when it needs to be.

That Lemuria have been writing and recording together now for more than a decade is evident; the rich musicality the band possess has been allowed to run riot across the album’s ten tracks, and that Recreational Hate should manage to avoid indie-pop clichés while so many similar records fall victim to them, is a testament to said musicality.

"Wanted to be Yours" for instance is a bouncy, frenetic romp that relishes in its ‘90s aesthetic and is all the better for it, while "Lake Below" is a slow, steady lament built around acoustic guitars and keys, presenting a more solemn side to the band that in turn balances out its otherwise sugary nature.

Bringing to mind the likes of Waxahatchee or Hop Along, Lemuria successfully straddle the increasingly blurred boundaries of folk, pop-punk and indie-pop. In doing so, they’ve created a record that’s fluid and fast-paced and that bristles with a subtle humour and quiet anxiety.

It’s also a record that’s not likely to break any boundaries however; there’s plenty of bands making similar sounding music that expresses similar sentiments, especially as far as the UK is concerned. Of course, not all music needs to break boundaries, and when the music is as irresistible as Lemuria’s, it’s difficult not to just nod along and smile.