I tell you something, these chaps have cojones. If you are an Oxford band and come out with an EP whose opening track is entitled ‘A Let Down’, it had better be bloody good, otherwise you’ll end up at the bottom of a large, writhing ruck of outraged, contemptuous Radiohead fans. Fortunately, local five-piece Spring Offensive has come out with not just one strong song, but three.

‘A Let Down’ is a fascinating track. Musically, it shows some kinship with the math-rock side of the local scene- Foals, perhaps a touch of Youthmovies, in the choppy rhythms and inventive chord sequences, but the anxious, twitchy mood is rather different from the other two bands, who for better or worse, always sound supremely confident. The vocals are emotional but not hysterical (the singer sounds like a slightly better-balanced Robert Smith) and the lyrical theme is highly original, a baleful study of sibling resentment.

‘a boy afraid of the shadow of himself…and of one who grew up with better mental health…teach me how to grow.’

The gnawing, nagging music is the perfect counterpoint to the complexities of this lyric, which culminates in the supreme nihilism of ‘I think I made you up on a tired afternoon’, the subject of the sort of rich, deep chorus The Winchell Riots do so well. This completes a magnificent achievement.

Following this is tough, and ‘Between One and One-Nine-Four’ lacks the punch of the opener, as the lyrics are less focussed- it’s another of these broadly-emotional songs that don’t seem to be about anything much, other than the creation of a vaguely disquieting atmosphere. Still, the clean guitar riffs are smart and sprightly, the syncopated drumming is effortless and the chorus could be sung happily by thousands at the O­₂ arena, so it’s hardly a failure.

‘The Cable Routine’ is a little more folky, with a hushed acoustic guitar introduction, before another mighty chorus kicks in, sung to the rich, slightly archaic line, ‘I am heavy with you’, which suggests the lyricist knows his King James Bible. The lyric in this song betrays a little clumsiness, a figure being presented with wire around his neck about to jump off a hotel balcony. All very Radiohead you may think, but the image is ruined by the bathos of the ensuing ‘This is not the sign of a healthy mind’. Still, the song, grim but exhilarating,  is musically very strong:  particular praise must go to the inventor of the strange, grinding harmonies in the choral passages.

I’m not sure how long Spring Offensive have been going, but they sound to me like yet another excellent young Oxford band to have appeared almost out of thin air, and one that has hit the ground running. What is particularly impressive is the level of discipline and playing-for-the song they have achieved, which can typically takes years to acquire. A Let Down? Far from it.

Spring Offensive Myspace