Do Nothing (Matinee)

It's been three years since Nottingham's Do Nothing released their critically-acclaimed debut albumSnake Sideways, but it's taken until now for them to find the catharsis that's usually expected from such a landmark. Described to the press as "a self-referential freak-out about pressure", the band were still processing that album's creation as they careened from BBC Radio 6 airwaves to UK stages, European festivals, and SXSW in the States after its release. "As soon as that bit was done," says lead singer Chris Bailey, "I was able to write new music with no expectations, things got easy very quickly." With the band on a fresh path, Do Nothing embraced the freedom to explore different sounds, themes, and even "things that are a bit daft" with enthusiasm. Friend World, the band's sophomore effort, draws from the dark recesses of the universal life experience. The album forefronts introversion, awkward social interaction, and even self-deprecation and self-destruction. Out 6th November.