Dog Is Dead aren’t going to shock you with white noise wig outs or anecdotes about nights of copious blow and tranny boffing. Instead, this Nottingham fivesome will seek to melt your heart with melody. The zingy, careening pop of ‘Do The Right Thing’, and the grandiose welterweight rock of ‘Teenage Daughter’ are their most effective communiqués, showing off the quintet’s irresistible harmonies. However, ‘All Our Favourite Stories’ shows that they can do dark too: intoxicated night prowler ‘Get Low’ and cinematic string epic ‘Heal It’ make for scintillating, shadowy counterpoints in an album of bleary glee.

James West