Ducking Punches deserve to do well with this rather decent album; they’ve played 1,000 gigs say the Press notes, which is good going, and explains the tight sound. They play high energy and melodic indie rock, veering towards pop punk in places, and with enough quirkiness to make it appealing.

The title is taken from an archaic term meaning to be “half dead from exhaustion” (though the cover art suggests a more literal meaning) and the band say they’ve been through a lot recently, and the themes of the album “range from crippling self-doubt to death, friendship, love, witch-hunters, addiction and hope”. Whatever.

To be honest it’s neither innovative or distinctive, but it is enjoyable, lively and stands repeated plays. They remind us of Closer, whose 2003 Rules For A Normal Life we still play and enjoy for the same reason we like this. Closer, sadly, have disappeared with so little trace that the only sign of their existence is a single entry on Discogs. Better luck to Ducking Punches.