More of the same here from Secret Rivals, which is no bad thing. Their latest is a continuation of what they’ve been doing pretty effectively for almost a couple of years now; producing records of catchy, driving indie pop replete with infectious riffs and a no-frills vocal pairing which nevertheless sounds intimately attuned to the emotional unease explored.

The opening of the EP, ‘Once More With Heart’, is an arresting one. A rhythmic assurance confidently encourages anticipation that, for an excitingly soaring moment, promises to be realised tenfold as the guitar of ‘The Part That Kills’ wastes precisely no time before bursting into life, jabbing the energy up a notch. This conjunction of opening numbers does, indeed, turn out to be the high moment, but any disappointment is tempered by the consistently accomplished standard of the rest of the record.

If there’s a gripe to be had, it’s about the vocal strength. On one or two occasions, Jamie Corcoran’s voice becomes a murmur, evoking frustrating gigs where the sound levels don’t match up and it feels as though the singer is fighting a losing battle against the rest of the band. It has the effect of making the vocal sound a little flimsy, which doesn’t suit the strong musical backdrop. Such moments are rare, and certainly don’t amount to anything that threatens the overall quality of the band’s offering. ‘I Know Something’ starts wistfully before tearing into a powerful denouement, and the eponymous closing track sounds off in a short, bittersweet acoustic fashion.

The only lasting grievance you’re likely to have here is that, having now delivered another EP, the wait is going to be that much longer before we get a full album’s worth from Secret Rivals. Until then, this is a fine record with which to make do.