THE weight of expectation can be extraordinarily heavy, particularly in the event that you’ve previously demonstrated your ability to overcome the trappings of hype and exorbitant levels of attention. This certainly must have been the case for the Lambeth-based outfit Palma Violets, who instantaneously cultivated a great deal of speculation around themselves with their chaotic live shows and delivered upon it with their critically adored debut 180.

Returning to the studio after a two year absence, the band have continued to distill the very essence of rock ‘n’ roll on Danger In The Club.

Beginning with dramatic bursts of guitar and sneering, Iggy Pop esque vocals, ‘Hollywood (I Got It)’ possesses the rollicking spirit of mid to late 1970s punk groups such as Stiff Little Fingers and Wire. Contrasting its aggressive nature with doo wop style backing vocals, it epitomises their willingness to act outwith tradition and pair disparate sounds with skill and poise.

‘Girl You Couldn’t Do Much Better (On The Beach)’ sees them adopt a new sound which hadn’t been exhibited on their much-loved debut, fusing the previously established influence of legends such as The Clash alongside a nods to less expected acts such as Rancid and The Bouncing Souls.

The Previously aired ‘Danger In The Club’ remains one of their finest tracks to date, appearing to be concieved as an attempt to align their material with the classic canon of British music. Featuring an emphatic use of harmonica that immediately captures the listeners attenion, its uproarious chorus will undoubtedly further endear the band to those who were advocates of their debut.

The dense ‘Coming Over To My Place’ is immensely entertaining, finding itself within a bizarre middle ground between Blur’s lauded heyday and the gripping rock balladry of New Jersey’s Bruce Springsteen while ‘Secrets Of America’ alludes to American punk bands such as The Replacements.

An enthralling and extremely whimsical composition, ‘The Jacket Song’ recalls The Libertines at their most sparse and ragged upon tracks such as ‘Radio America’ before ‘Matador‘ and ‘Gout! Gang! Go!’ reassert their aptitude for crafting outstanding and unrelenting rock and roll.

‘Peter and the Gun’ takes pride of place as one of the album’s finest, with a riff that lurks overhead; containing just the right quantities of menace and swagger,

Featuring warm keys and sorrowful strains of guitar, ‘No Money Honey’ is undoubtedly the album’s most contemplative moment, allowing ‘English Tongue’ to conclude the album with one final foray into unrepentant rock, led by instrumentation that produces a potency similar to that which is displayed on The Rolling Stones’ landmark Exile On Main Street LP.

Danger In The Club is an album that, whilst not groundbreaking, is an exercise in outright fun and remarkably resonant choruses, one which is sure to be deemed worthy of a place in the hearts and minds of many fans and critics for years to come.