Tall Ships' second record Impressions starts a lot like their first record Everything Touching ends, with the slow burn, although 'Road Not Taken' is more forthright than 'Murmurations' could ever be. Whilst the latter slowly ascends, the former leaps in stages to a jubilant closing passage which announces the Brighton quartet's return with confidence.

It also sets the tone for the record, introducing the overarching lyrical themes from the outset, including the following moving passage: "When it feels like nothing's going to change / Know that nothing stays the same / The only constant in life is pain." Despite the inclination to dance to the instrumentation throughout the track, the lyrics its married with are undoubtedly emotive in a negative way, another strand of the album introduced early.

'Will To Life' is a powerful single built on those dynamic shifts that are the foundations of the band's sound, whilst 'Petrichor' is laced with yearning as a whisper of "You know it's time for a change" fades into a chorus of soaring guitars which in turn fade to an endearing acoustic passage at the song's closing. By comparison 'Home' is an expansive and progressive masterpiece, which builds layers and tension until *that* killer guitar hook drop, which sets the track on its impressive homeward sprint.

Carrying on the theme of loss, 'Lucille' personifies the abstract feeling, and directs it towards a named character, as the lyrics address her from a distance: "I'm dying here just to hold you, and feel the warmth of your light." As the title may suggest, 'Meditations On Loss' reflects on mortality, and the conclusions reached aren't pleasant, and the lack of faith bubbling under the surface results in a ferocious and perhaps introspective number.

'Sea Of Blood' may be too explicit in its approach, but the description of a close one's passing from the vantage point of their funeral is undoubtedly a touching one. Paired with Ric Phethean's majestic vocals, the droning soundscapes are likely to draw emotions from anyone who's familiar with the sentiment. The percussion and pace are measured, and track is simply beautiful, a shimmering beauty of regret in a record about loss.

'Lost & Found' is short and sweet, providing a firm hand of reassurance between the gravity of the track before, and the epic stature of the closer which follows. 'Day By Day' is post-rock wonder for indie fans, from its trundling beginnings to the life-affirming lyrical passage which is utterly memorable as the end of fan favourite 'Vessels' but infinitely more profound. Picking up where 'Road Not Taken' left off, Phethean's offers: "So place your hand in mine / Yeah, we'll be OK / Live out the rest of our lives day by day." Bringing the overall sentiment of the record to a rounded close, yes, things can be awful, but they can also be wonderful.

As a band, Tall Ships are a force to be reckoned with, from songwriting prowess to sheer walls of sound, their craft is something to be not just enjoyed but savoured. In terms of comparison and trajectory, it seems most apt to refer to their contemporaries in Foals. From the slightly bizarre beginnings of the first release, to the vast and emotive soundscapes of the middle years, to the anthemic indie rock of today. The parallels are there, and given the calibre of the music on 'Impressions' and everything else before, hopefully the crowds will gather in ever increasing numbers for this ever-impressive quartet.

Impressions is available now from iTunes and Amazon. 

This is the third time I have witnessed the Tall Ships live show, and it's undoubtedly the best. 

The first time was on what I can only assume was the Everything Touching release tour in October 2012, which featured the band's early material heavily; the second time in July 2014 was something of a transitional time with a lot of new material in the set, and I sadly can't remember which of those tracks made the cut for the new record; and this time seems like a celebration of the band's rebirth as a formidable alt-rock machine. 

Gone are the obvious quirks, and in their place are the sweeping soundscapes and powerful emotions which were only laced through the band's original material. Keep a look out from my upcoming review of new record Impressions (out March 31st), in which I plan to cover that evolution in depth, so I won't preempt myself here. 

The show itself was essentially transcendent. Swells in music and perfectly timed combinations of smoke and light helped to elevated the atmosphere to euphoric. The room wasn't quite at bursting, and I don't believe it was sold out, but everyone in attendance was treated to a heck of a show. 

There were three obvious gears throughout the night, with 'Ode to Ancestors' providing the slowest one, with a solo vocal and keys opening, building into an endearing yet undeniably geeky love song, and one of the band's most charming creations. The second was the progressive mode, characterised by new tracks 'Home' and 'Day By Day', in which the band command the evening with the dynamics of a post-rock performance, perfectly balancing the loud and quiet. Finally, there's the party mode, which inspired a powerful rendition of the classic 'T=0' as well as an aggressive performance of recent single 'Meditations On Loss', in which strong vocals descended into hair-raising and impassioned shouts. 

A hard decision between 'Vessels' and 'Plate Tectonics' for a closer was abruptly smashed when defiant shouts of "One more tune!" ensured the curfew was stretched far enough to accommodate both. In recent weeks I've been infatuated with <em>Impressions</em>, but following this performance my musical heart has been reminded of Tall Ships' greater beauty and talent. 

They are truly wonderful, and you should listen to them if you haven't before, and don't delay.