Macseal - Permanent Repeat

It's been five long years since Long Island emo punkers Macseal released breakthrough 'Super Enthusiast'. While there was little original about their mix of introspective and soul-searching lyrics and preppy, breezy pop-punk/twinkly emo, they did it far better than most – meaning expectations are high for the follow-up 'Permanent Repeat'.

And five years is a long time in music. Certainly, there's a maturity to 'Permanent Repeat' that smooths over the rougher edges found on its predecessor. In softening the sound, the group have found themselves in prime power-pop territory – and it's something that fits like a glove.

Lead single 'Golden Harbour' is an outlier, in so much as it still contains the punk bluster of their earlier work. It's a gem, too; part Joyce Manor, part Modern Baseball, all late summertime vibes.

After that, though, much of 'Permanent Repeat' is a brave new world for the band. Both 'Easily Undone' and 'Beach Vacation' – two of the outstanding cuts – find the group mining 90s power pop for inspiration – and the results are nothing short of stunning, as they take inspiration from their inner Fountains of Wayne. The title track, meanwhile, channels the group's easygoing and accessible pop through an intense and unexpected psych-rock freakout. It, too, is a surprising triumph.