It’s taken the foursome from Canterbury over two years to release their first full length release, but Moose Blood have made it worth waiting for with their heart-on-sleeve debut that bursts with sentimentality.

‘I’ll Keep You in Mind, From Time To Time’ consists of eleven tracks, all of which show off a different capability of the band. From the dreary opener, Cherry to the vehement closer, I Hope You’re Miserable, there isn’t a song on the album that doesn’t hold its place firmly.  Since the decline of Brand New, Mineral and Brand New, there has been a gap that needed a new band in the so-called ’emo’ genre to fit in, and it really does feel like Moose Blood are on their way to filling it.

In many ways, Moose Blood are similar to so many bands before them. The songs are steady until they reach the chorus, where it all erupts into a punk-fuelled fervor. The jangly guitar tones coupled with the stories that are carefully weaved throughout each song make listening to the album more like a retelling of an event you didn’t actually experience yourself, but you come out of it feeling like you lived through it too.

Pups is definitely one of the standout tracks on the album. It’s bursting with sentiment, where listeners are regaled with a tale of a man and his relationship with his father. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to stop what you’re doing and ring your dad, just to say hi and let him know you’re thinking about him. A nice change for a traditional love song written for a partner/spouse, this one is written for a parent. It all climaxes in an emotional repetition of; “It wasn’t getting drunk I loved//It was being with you”.

Bukowski is another track that rises to the top, featuring emotive guitar and a chorus that you’ll find yourself singing for days. Chin Up is almost a throwback to early Brand New tracks from the ’00’s, which makes it feel far more familiar than it really should, but still managing to retain Moose Blood’s sound.

Being such a short album, ‘I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time To Time’ seems to end just when you’re really getting into it. This doesn’t take away from the high calibre however, and pressing replay is almost inevitable when you hear closer, I Hope You’re Miserable building to it’s climax.

Fans of the band may feel like the sound has changed quite a bit between the EP’s and the album, but this certainly isn’t a bad thing. They realised what worked, and what didn’t, and the album clearly reflects this. There’s no mawkish songs that make you groan, just songs that make you reflect on your own life as you sit and listen to Moose Blood tell you about theirs.