Southpaw

The sophomore release from this south of England quintet is equal parts Brit-pop and emo rock, sort of like Blur meets Samiam. The heavy on the ringing guitar production is offset by infectious vocal melodies and skipping rhythms. Not quite pop and not quite punk, it's a sweet and smoothly blended combination of the two. The end result is songs that jump out of the speakers, grab the listener by the ears and steadfastly refuse to let go.