As festival season rapidly gallops towards us, in all its cider-soaked, green-smoked, bellend-choked glory, it’s time for Eavis and his minions, as well as his competition, to begin stocking up on acts for their events. Some are obvious picks, others are annual staples, headliners are surely done and dusted by now – which leaves the smaller acts for littler stages. What better route to go down that folk-tinged indie-rock á la Bombay Bicycle Club? Everyone loves a bit o’ BBC during the scorching sun and dehydrated hangover state. The likeminded Story Books, then, are a safe horse to bet on. Not safe in the sense that they’re common-denominator, MOR, Ed Sheeran-esque, but safe in the sense that you can be damn sure they’ll put on a stonking show and pleasure everyone in the crowd (chortle, guffaw etc.). They’re a band who will thrill your socks off, and you can count on that.

For their new EP, From Post To Post, the Kentish quintet follow on from themes built on their previous release from May last year, Too Much A Hunter. They are texture-fiends, pure and simple. Dynamics play an important role too, as they fiddle with structure and musical foundations. They start often as diminuitive acoustic ballads with a folky twang or pop bent, gradually ramping up into gargantuan post-rock or stadium-indie megalodons. It’s an interesting twist on the recipe, and it shifts them away from being purely Bombay Bicycle Club doppelgängers and allows the group to carve their own path. The similarities are still there, but Story Books drag them through thorns, gravel and mud until there’s no resemblance. This might be best classed as ‘post-indie’.

“Damage” begins with thwomping percussion and a gyrating drone in the background. This doesn’t last long however, as the band soon inject an epipen of noise into the track – it’s all rapturous distortion, grinding mayhem and Sigur Rós-sized walls of noise. “White Maid” adheres to the ritual too, beginning with rural acoustic guitars and delicate vocals, before detonating. There’s violins, choirs, piano, synths and a maelstrom of rhythmic FX; it’s dramatic in extremis, like M O N E Y or ILikeTrains. The only effort on the EP that stands out as not being a hulking post-rock force is “Floating Ark”, which rekindles memories of Chapel Club and Delphic. It’s a joyous venture into simplified pop-rock singledom; without thinking too much, they create something with the potential to be a festival highlight.

From Post To Post is a great EP – maybe it relies a tad much on one idea, something that will surely be rectified on an LP, but there are plenty of moments to relish. They engage on an intellectual level, displaying a prowess for the unpredictable and a penchant for shaking up the system. While some of their sounds are familiar, the EP is still charming, possessing the ability to induce hysteria and euphoria. The most exciting prospect when it comes to Story Books isn’t their releases though, it’s their live show – and From Post To Post has all the indicators of translating flawlessly to live scenarios. So remember, if you’re at any music gala this summer, seek out Story Books. If they’re not playing? Well riot, of course.