Third Version

Usually I tire of bands by around the third album, as it fades ever away from what I'd prefer to listen to. This is especially true nowadays, when it seems rarer and rarer for bands to have smaller albums pre-breakthrough as they may well have done even 10-15 years ago.

However, I'm delighted that Maximo Park's Quicken The Heart is so far breaking the mould. I must thank Mike for reminding me that it was out, and I got this for Christmas. I got around to listening to it at the beginning part of last week and it's fast becoming one of my most played albums.

I always have had an inate fondness for Maximo Park. I enjoy their combination of creative melodies and fantastic lyrics. They use good words in their songwriting, and while nothing will probably compare with the fabulous use of both 'Detritus gathers' and 'lacerate' in The Unshockable from their first album, some of their most recent offerings come close.

My favourite efforts were in Wraithless using the phrase "raison d'etre", while The Penultimate Clinch uses not only the fantastic word in the title, but also amusingly contains the phrase "I've got a bee in my bonnet" - something you just do not hear in songs enough.

Good work all round.