Trust Fund make a step up

Often compared to Alabama's Waxahatchee, the two share a similar interest in playing with the dynamics of their music, something Trust Fund do to much greater lengths here; tracks such as “Scared II” and “4th August” break down to an almost whisper before exploding in to the kind of technicolour indie-pop Waxahatchee exhibited on this year's Ivy Tripp. Perhaps unsurprisingly however, Seems Unfair has perfected the kind of glum realism that only a British band could, singer Ellis Jones conjuring images festering swimming costumes in Tesco bags and relationships maintained purely on the basis of football.

That said, there's very little about Seems Unfair that's glum at all, regardless of the self-reflection and occasional self-deprecation. From the spirited first single “Dreams” to the frothy and fuzzy closer “Can You Believe”, the record maintains an almost constant aire of positivity, with repeat listens the only way to hear the questioning doubts of Jones.

Whilst it's clear the band's songwriting has come on leaps and bounds in the eight months between releases, the difference in production between each album is also noticeable. This time recorded in MJ's Suburban Home studios in Leeds, the increase in production quality has allowed the band to spread their wings, incorporating a much fuller sound that's not dissimilar to early Los Campesinos! only without the E-number indulgence. As such, Seems Unfair manages exceed its predecessor in every way whilst never shedding any of the DIY charm that made their debut so endearing to begin with.