- Just when you thought the '90’s comeback was done and dusted, Canadian girl rockers The Courtneys, have dug out their mum-jeans and dropped a new record, The Courtneys II, a ten track extravaganza of power-pop and alt-rock.

Borrowing some of the guitar sound of influential ' 90’s bands like Dinosaur Jr, vocally however you'll find they have more in common with contemporaries like Camp Cope. The Courtneys’ brand of blasé alt-rock is filled with lightly distorted guitars, lazy vocals, demanding drums and simple lyrics.

Opening with a long, piercing static, Silver Velvet, the first song off the record, really sets the tone for the album. The Courtneys make a big sound for a three piece band, with nicely distorted, reverb heavy guitar riffs complementing the cymbal heavy drums, to create an insistent, laidback feel. Simple melodies are fleshed out with unharmonised backing vocals, creating an illusion of depth. The track maintains a consistent feel the whole way through, never reaching a climax – instead using an abrupt finish to add a parting bang.

Lyrically, The Courtneys are hardly political, instead covering the usual topics of boyfriends and teenage angst. However, the youthful voices make the treatment of these topics seem authentic, right and believable, rather than clichéd. Although, if it weren’t for the catchy musical phrases, the album could be a bit bland in its delivery on a lyrical front.

Second single from their record Tour is another stand out from the album. This track picks up the pace a little bit – driving guitar riffs and tight drums push the mellow vocals to the forefront of the mix, making them pack more of a punch. The melody on this track is somewhat more complex than on other tracks on the record, but is still fleshed out by their signature unison vocal punch. Tour is also one of the more thematically exciting tracks, discussing the importance of perseverance and hard work. That can be exciting y'know?

The Courtneys are looking to be a serious contender in the girl-rock comeback that 2017 is starting to be. If this easy approach to alt-rock doesn’t make you want to dust off your guitar and combat boots and start a band, I’m not sure what will. A good effort for a sophomore record; it will be interesting to see where they go from here.

- Olivia Shoesmith.