Dappled Cities: Zounds (Inertia/Border)

This Sydney-formed band don't lack the grand gesture: this album is chock full of wide screen, sweeping, heroically realised pop-rock noise propelled by massive guitars, strings, the kitchen sink etc.

They do however lack consistent and tight songs which might have allowed this to have greater impact (in the manner of Empire of the Sun, Pop Levi, Mika, MGMT and the like) but my impression is that they want to be taken as seriously as they may take themselves so are aiming more at the Arcade Fire end of the spectrum. And sometimes they pull that off.

Me, I prefer the songs where they have a real pop sensibility going and marry that to a wall of sound from exploding drums, strings, guitars, kitchen sink etc that is almost life-threatening and verging on the chaotic. That's when I play this one loud, as you should.

No half measures here.