On the soundcloud stream of Delamere the tag #Gothic is inexplicably amongst those to describe what you're about to hear. Anthemic, at times quite summery, the quartet's indie sound is a world away from the doom and gloom brought to mind by that label. Unless of course I've missed some shift in musical boundaries. 

Pace-wise the album could certainly do with an infusion of Sisters Of Mercy-like drive and energy as it fails to excite early on - mid-tempo songs with ambitions to engage the listener emotionally which lack hooks or good enough lyrics to manage that. Background music for some shiny & forgettable US TV drama or straight to DVD film.

It's hard to pin down any possible influences from within the recent past - White Lies & Django Django maybe and perhaps Late Of The Pier but overwhelmingly there's a whiff of the '80s in the shape of Haircut 100, Simple Minds and, to be honest, the kind of fare from that decade that I'd have expected my Mum to enjoy at the time. Safe & predictable and something for Radio 2 to feature as proof it plays young bands.

This is not the voice of upset Remain campaigners or young Corbynistas calling for unity. Love or its loss may be a governing topic through the band's ten songs but even that's not inspiring. You'll not find yourself empathising with the likes of 'Woods'. More likely, if your mate started pining this badly you'd cut him off short and drag him down to the pub for a more productive session of wallowing in his misery. Or you'd nip out to do so yourself whilst his back was turned.

Still, this lightweight sort of stuff goes as easily as it comes. What's continually beyond me is what possesses otherwise lively looking individuals to make music with such an obviously limited shelf life in the first place, albeit they're no doubt trying their best.

Delamere is available direct from the band here.

For your entertainment during another working week here's five more hand-picked delights from the Scruff Of The Neck stable.

The Real Cool – 'Bed Hair'

Hailing from Birmingham, indie-pop three piece The Real Cool relish in their own brand of rich, yet paradoxically understated tropi-pop. The band's most recent single 'Bed Hair' is no exception. Lush sounding but sporadically delivered guitar lines entwine with chunky bass rumbles, creating something both modern, but entrenched in pop traditions.

Jellyskin – 'She Sung Oceans'

Sounding like a more contemporary Slowdive, Leeds-based shoegazers Jellyskin take understated to new, staggeringly pretty levels. Even without a gig under their belt yet, the three-piece have began to make quite an impression with latest single 'She Sung Oceans' providing a wistful and hazy first impression of the trio. Beautiful.

The Chadelics – 'Mexico'

Harbouring all the energy of a pre-drugs Libertines, Barrow's The Chadelics may be familiar to those who were at this year's Kendal Calling. 'Mexico' might not be the band's most recent offering, but it's rakish charm, jangling guitars and straight up indie-oikishness is utterly infectious. Expect big things from these guys. Expect them soon.

Kyngs – 'In the Moment'

Arguably the heaviest track on offer this week thanks to it's propulsive guitar grooves, 'In The Moment' is the first track from Manchester four-piece Kyngs, and sees the band building on the established rock tropes of the '60s and '70s while absolutely making them their own. Not quite breakneck but rarely relenting, it's a statement of intent from a band who know what they want.

EARTHS – 'Kangerlussuaq'

Given that this song's over a year old, we might be cheating a little bit by including it, but after seeing EARTHS live iteration on Saturday, it just felt wrong not to. Beginning with an ethereal and haunting vocal melody, the track soon blossoms in to lush alt-rock; the frenetic percussion and rolling rhythm section providing the perfect backdrop for the rich Scottish vocal lilt. Exquisite.