Half-panicked, half-anthemic ‘Runnin’ Scared’ aside, this is all a little meek, but that’s kind of the idea.

The downside is they’ve lost a little of their trademark lo-fi fuzz, but singer Mariel Loveland’s lyrics stand out as more succinct and immediate this time around.

The Massachusetts quartet are back with a new EP that reminds us what made them so exciting in the first place.

While the majority of tracks like ‘FML’ and ‘The Weigh Down’ continue in a similar vein, with crushing slabs of aggression offset by sing-from-the-rooftops choruses, the Aussies venture into less formulaic territory with ‘Forest Fire’ and ‘Give It All’, allowing Let The Ocean Take Me to work out its own identity.

Galloping metalcore anthem ‘You Want Me’ shows flashes of brilliance, too, but it’s difficult to escape the nagging feeling that their fourth record is the sound of a great band spreading themselves far too thinly.

Clouded is possibly the most beautiful record about heartbreak you’ll hear all year.

It’s a clutch of sharp, abrasive punk anthems, underpinned by tight, funk-tinged rhythms.

From start to finish there’s almost nothing to fault here.

It’s nowhere near as hot as the real prime stuff the early ’80s gave us (Poison Idea, Void, Tar Babies, that sort of thing) and still lags behind the young ‘uns who’re keeping the genre fresh and vital.

The production allows the introspective oddness of Soto’s lyrics to show through better, lending them a really likeable, stand-out character.

It’s album number three from Steel Panther and no surprise, it’s ridiculous spoof-splattered business as usual.

Though this offering doesn’t quite live up to genre-busting, career-defining predecessor ‘Gospel’, engaging, inventive albums like this are yet more proof that pop-punk’s renaissance won’t fade away any time soon.

Those familiar intricacies are thankfully still present and correct and the direct approach undoubtedly suits a band still full of ideas.

This record could slot into any punk rock fan’s record collection in the last 15 years and get worn out--it’s just great, timeless songwriting.

Die Without Hope shows them at their most uncompromising, bleak and arse-splittingly heavy.

Individually, tracks like ‘Hymn To The Pillory’ and ‘Somersault’ aren’t particularly staggering, but as a whole body of work it really is something else.

Lost Forever, Lost Together is the sound of Architects finding and unleashing the buried treasure they’ve been searching for.

Beloved is both a reincarnation of old and a lesson in modern metalcore that makes IKTPQ the oldest newcomers to stake their claim for 2014.

Twin Forks is an album of freedom and exploration, the sound of people taking risks for the sake of song. We like that.

Some of the live tracks on here are a little scratchy sounding but re-worked versions of ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘The Queen Of Lower Chelsea’ quieten any simmering cynicism about the point of this record.

The Poles’ most infectious work as it bristles with the best songs they’ve ever written.

ATB have found a collective cutting edge that’s both extreme and versatile.

Rave Tapes is a diverse and supremely confident record.

Stoke Extinguisher offers both food for thought and fuel for the pit; cheap gags jostle for space with anti-establishment rhetoric and a wry sense of self-depreciation.

Beastmilk have created a seductively dark slab of post-punk which manages to not take itself too seriously, while still being brilliant enough for it not to become comical. And that’s a fine balance.

Partycrasher is still overflowing with singalong moments and air guitar opportunities that should remind you why A Wilhelm Scream are one of the best punk bands we’ve ever had.

This time around there’s more screaming and distortion a la ‘Jupiter’-era Cave In (‘The Refusal’), which somehow compliments the more melodic tracks here and only adds to what’s on offer.

While not quite as cack as recent efforts by Bad Brains or DYS, it still defies belief that this should ever see the light of day.