The Big Roar Atlantic * * * *

The Joy Formidable's 2009 mini-album was a snapshot of the Welsh trio at that time; their full-length debut is a 360-degree panorama. This is modern rock at its finest. Shaded with hints of shoegaze, indie and punk, Ritzy Bryan and her bandmates have crafted a record that's both steadily paced and pinging with irresistible energy and groove. Even the older songs ( Whirring, Austere) seem to have gained a new vitality when slotted alongside the might of A Heavy Abacus. Bryan's voice is a highlight as well, whether it's dreamily coiling itself around the droning haze of Buoyor snapping into a snarl on The Magnifying Glass. The band may be from a town called Mold, but this record is fresh enough to blow the mustiest of cobwebs away. See thejoy formidable.com

LAUREN MURPHY

Download tracks: Whirring, Austere