The bromantic sing-alongs that occurred as a result of 2008's 'Alopecia' might be the closest Yoni Wolf's brutally honest and self-analytical poetry will ever get to having a place in a crowd. However, you can guarantee every single word he's penned since his lo-fi forays into rap has been memorised, blogged about and scrawled onto countless post-it notes to coat bedroom walls. Lines like "Even though I haven't seen you in years, yours is a funeral I'd fly to from anywhere" demand to be taken personally.

Whilst previous releases might have owed more to Pavement than they did to MF DOOM, it's undeniable that there was a rapper at the helm. The movement away from abstract hip hop and towards what the band themselves call "song-songs" on this record shouldn't mislead you into thinking it's any easier to listen to though. If anything, the subject matter here makes this Why?'s toughest record yet.

Those who have spent long nights trying to pick apart Why?'s cryptic lyrics in an attempt to get closer to Wolf can rejoice, as this record is the aural equivalent of his feelings on a platter. The middle section of 'Into the Shadows of My Embrace', which flows like Dylan on 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll', acts as a better synopsis for Eskimo Snow than any words could. The sunny organs, playful bassline and glockenspiel arpeggios drop out, allowing for the song to build up to new heights with the help of some snare rolls, climaxing as Wolf yells, "And I know saying all this in public should make me feel funny / But you gotta yell something out you'd never tell nobody."

It's clear that whilst the messages might be more obvious, no poetic license has been sacrificed. Wolf addresses his impending loneliness by contemplating the fate of his "unused seed" on 'Against Me' and his lack of worth by sensationalising his death on 'Berkeley by Hearseback' - "Lay me down in a hearseback / It's where my new best look is at." If you're looking for new ways to define your every fear; look no further. Whilst this record may be bleak, it doesn't serve to amplify self-pity, but rather as a place to seek solace in.

Leah Pritchard