Watercourse is the sixth Sea Pinks album in seven years, a formidable period of creativity that has seen them develop from the solo project of Belfast native Neil Brogan to a fully fledged band. It feels appropriate that all three members feature on the front cover for the first time, as Davey Agnew's crisp drumming and Steven Henry's sympathetic bass-playing are now fully incorporated into the Sea Pinks sound.
This time, there's a little more crunch than usual – Playin' for Pride is enjoyably bratty, and Into Nowhere is as dynamic a song as Brogan has written – yet the truth is that there are few surprises here.
Watercourse is 10 more nuggets of crystalline jangle-pop delivered in Brogan's endearingly doleful croon. But with songs as good as I Don't Know What I Would Do (Without You) and Shock of the New, who's complaining?
