Whilst the debut got tongues wagging, the follow up is sure to get hearts pounding – a superb collection of tracks that points to a band that knows where it’s going.

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11y

Best of 2014

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NME

There is no showboating or ostentatiousness on ‘The Hum’; it’s a different record to ‘Pearl Mystic’, but also a logical continuation and, in some ways, a companion piece.

11y

The Hum is a shattering, all-encompassing experience; there's climactic rage, broken organs and blank-eyed trance outs.

11y

11y

The songs have a widescreen, cinematic sound to them, but remain very much the band's own; they sound like hat-tips to the likes of U2 and Springsteen, drenched in reverb-laden guitars and obfuscated with selective distortion.

11y

Perhaps the most noticeable feature of The Hum is how complete it feels once it’s over. There are no wasted notes, no wasted time, and nothing but the impulse to listen again. True to their name, Hookworms are infectious – in the best way possible.

11y

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11y

One reason The Hum feels distinct from the surfeit of psychedelic music finding its way to ears in 2014 is because Hookworms understand the importance of a niche.

11y

On The Hum, this delicate balancing act between abrasive aggression and unfettered tunefulness positions Hookworms as an uncompromising experimental act with festival-sized ambitions, capable of synthesizing disparate and often contradictory sounds into a cohesive and compelling whole.

11y

If their debut showcased a tendancy to shroud vocalist MJ’s deranged squeals in obfuscating reverb, this time he’s foregrounded, giving proceedings a cleaner focus – indeed, songs take precedence this time, rather than exercises in slowly-mounting tension and delirious release.

11y

By progressing onwards from the murk of their debut into a cleaner, snappier territory, Hookworms have managed to remain thoroughly the same band, without a hint of stagnation or water treading.

11y

The entire record is a small step forward from the sometimes unfocused sound of that first album, and really crystallizes the group's strong points in a way that's almost fun to listen to.

11y

The beauty of the band’s second album, The Hum, is how effortlessly they make the blitzkrieg and the bliss seem like complementary rather than conflicting ideals.

11y

11y

The measured economy of The Hum is a natural transition from the more dense Pearl Mystic, and the steady, workmanlike approach works to their advantage even if there’s few surprises.

11y

This is top-notch psychedelic rock, in so many ways better than all those ancient bands and songs it’s built upon, but it’s presented in such a garbled way that the songs often lose their impact. Listen to them in isolation or divided by their styles and you can’t go wrong, but avoid listening to the album straight through.

11y