Curve of the Earth

Long secure as British indie treasures, album five reveals a band still flush with urgency and ideas. And crucially, there’s now emotional punch to match the Londoners’ deft melodic touch. Opener “Telemere” showcases this muscular maturation with its pounding drums and kinetic riffs while the sublime “1985” and “The End Up” come matted with hard-earned feeling. Their knack for indie floor-fillers endears—“Bubblegum”’s pogoing riff is a life-affirming joy—but this is a band now emboldened by a more substantial and compelling purpose.