Southend-on-Sea’s Nothing But Thieves are the archetypal alt-rock band—but with a twist. While their falsetto vocals and post-punk beats are precisely the types of sonic details associated with the coolest bands since the 2000s, the way they slip hard-rock moves into their music places them in a category all their own. These dudes are aggro, and they always have been. Their 2015 debut (featuring the breakout single “Wake Up Call”) is shot through with screaming guitars. Even when Nothing But Thieves turn introspective (as on the hits “Trip Switch” and “Sorry”), a genuine sense of heaviness lurks just beneath their skilfully fashioned sound.