Soeza
Why Do You Do?

What's not to like about Bristol-based (ish) outfit Soeza? They number many, blow french horns like a stupidly cute Sweep The Leg Johnny, and craft post-something songs - guitars chop-chop rather than riff themselves into dust - that are both instantly catchy and charming in the longer term.

The answer? Diddly squat. As the above should suggest, Soeza's second album, their first for Gringo, is utterly loveable. Delicious boy/girl vocals sprinkle sparkling candy smiles over songs already full of creative joy, and although they do revel in complexities, particularly on 'Genuflect', this 12-legged core of the wider Pull The Strings collective know how to be immediate. 'Brackish Waters' is a superb opener, showcasing the band at their very best; you wouldn't call it strictly commercial in sound, yet it possesses a completeness - a proper feeling of closure - so often lacking in the material of so many other outfits ploughing similarly awkward zig-zagged furrows. Yes, Soeza owe a debt to acts like Deerhoof and the work of Tim Kinsella, but that should only serve as an additional recommendation.

At only nine tracks, Why Do You Do? hardly outstays its welcome, and needlessly so - some more would have been appreciated (although you could always stick it on repeat all). That single shame aside, this is a real gem that'll continue to shine well after its purchase.