A new Dot Dash album invariably brings a feeling of freshness to ears tired of the over produced pop candy that pollutes the airwaves of commercial radio stations.

This is fine follow-up to 2012’s ‘Winter Garden Light’ and the 2013’s ‘Half-Remembered Dream’ by Washington DC’s finest power-poppers.

Again, there is no hanging around on these tracks, no ballads, no pointless, self-indulgent experimentation, just snappily delivered guitar tunes that reflect a band that only release the very best material that they produce.

The guitar riffs are more elongated this time around but the precision beats and prominent bass-lines remain, rendering this an instantly recognisable Dot Dash sound.

While the band take their cue from the beat generation the attitude is very much punk and nu-wave. That’s not to say that the melodies are eschewed, in-fact, they are very much at the forefront and this is confirmed by the abrasive opening barres of Winter of Discontent and Flowers giving way to subtle.

The chiming guitars of Sleep, Sleep remind the listener of the playing of Johnny Marr and the songwriting of Ireland’s own Paul Cleary of The Blades.

There’s more than a whiff of the influence of Wire on many tracks and this is never more evident than on Walls Closing In – which also recalls the sparse sound of The Jam’s Sound Affects.

This is a recurring theme throughout the album and the opening seconds of Thru The Dark owe just a little inspiration to the to the opener on that seminal album, Pretty Green.

Another solid effort from a band that only ever seem to be at the very top of their game.