The widely-touted Norn Iron outfit Brand New Friend are really going for it. Their debut LP is a punk-pop riot that lives up to the advance hype – which is doubly impressive given that most of their peers have buckled under the weight of expectation.

A hugely enjoyable sonic love letter to ’90s alt.rock, Seatbelts For Aeroplanes is filled with lively riffs and sugary boy/girl melodies. Wisely realising that you only get one chance to make a first impression, the record goes for the jugular, and has more energy than a class-full of Red Bull-chugging primary school kids. Super-catchy and sounding like a cross between The Hold Steady and Trailer-era Ash, among the standouts are the spritely ‘Slow’ and the synth-driven title tune. The band’s MVP is singer and keyboardist Lauren Johnson, who adds an extra dollop of pop suss throughout. The resulting hooks will be lodged in your head long after the album stops spinning.

Record label: Extra Mile
Listen to: ‘Slow’
Overall ratingL 8/10