First things first.Despite the anagrammatic title, Fears Trending does not feature remixes of tracks heard on its predecessor, Strange Friend. Nor are these songs the floor sweepings left over from that earlier album (although most were recorded during the same sessions). Strange Friend, released a mere seven months ago, was The Phantom Band's most immediately melodic and easily accessible record to date; Fears Trending creates a more unsettling experience, with challenging song structures, clashing instrument textures and a greater emphasis on sustaining a compositional soundscape than knocking off a catchy tune.

That's not to say there aren't hooks here, just that they're placed within a more anxious environment where, at any given moment, the music might veer left towards metal riffage (Spectrelegs) or a distorted spaghetti western score (Denise Hopper). I don't believe that any of these seven songs, had they been included on their upbeat predecessor, would have done themselves or Strange Friend justice. Instead they make Fears Trending a stronger fourth album by one of the most consistently inventive bands in Scotland.