RATHER than taking a break after an exciting 2016, Glasgow’s very own Other Humans are kicking off the year by releasing a new four track EP, Ruined Glitter. It’s hard to believe that Other Humans only played their first ever gig in May 2015 considering their monumental run last year. The Cumbernauld group played Tenement Trail, had slots at King Tut’s Summer Nights and XpoNorth as well as supporting esteemed groups such as WHITE and Hector Bizerk  as they continued on their quest to reinvent the familiar genre of synth pop in their own image.

With their new EP, the band – who’ve been making music together for around two years now – show no signs of having any teething issues. Recorded throughout the summer of 2016, the EP is a collection of four perfectly polished indie pop tracks, presumably down to the fact that frontman Darren Martin is a recording engineer at the studio where they make their music. The EP opens with We Hate The Same Things and it’s a more rock-influenced sound than what we’re used to, beginning with deep, drawling vocals and grungy guitars.

However, Martin soon launches into the sort of catchy, singalong chorus that they’re known for before ending on a synth-pop high. Continuously embracing their penchant for synthesisers in new and innovative ways, Other Humans are anything but cliché  thanks to the expert production and the overall precision of the band as a whole. Stand out track Off With His Head features Martin’s evocative confession that “I don’t want the details, I just want off with his head”, a sentiment which likely draws parallels in the listener’s mind to situations they’ve endured. It’s a swelling, classic guitar pop song which; like the rest of the tracks, will be buzzing about in your head for days afterwards.

Despite consistently warning us to ‘beware’, third song Kids (Jungle Out There) isn’t as bleak as you’d think. The track seamlessly blends Other Humans’ indie rock verses with stadium-ready choruses.

The EP ends on a slower, more subdued note with ‘Ride’. It’s a nice change of pace from their predominantly all guns blazing brand of pop rock, relying on bubbling synths and a slow build-up of guitars and drums that are fraught with sincerity and emotion.

Other Humans make infectiously catchy songs that you may find yourself knowing every lyric to despite not making any conscious effort to learn them. With the release of this new EP, the band have cemented themselves as one of the most interesting and exciting acts of the past few years. Judging by the trajectory of their career thus far and the strengths of this new addition to their catalogue, it’s safe to assume that 2017 will be another highly successful outing for the Glaswegian outfit.