Perth indie-rock quintet Split Seconds have been hovering on our musical radar for two years, and finally their debut album has landed, putting an end to what seemed like an excruciating wait. Their first eponymous EP came out last year, showcasing the band’s straightforward, catchy guitar pop and deliciously off-kilter lyrics, but have they managed to improve on that initial effort with this record? The answer is a definite yes, with bells on, as the ‘60s-flavoured pop melodies, manly harmonies, and storytelling talents of songwriter Sean Pollard combine to make an impressive debut. Opener ‘Security Light’ has Pollard announcing “Thursday is a bad day, because I go to war with anyone, for the smallest little thing,” before summing up the worker’s plight with “three days, two days, one day, till a holiday, it’s just a weekend.” The impossibly-catchy guitar lines and sing-along chorus of single ‘All You Gotta Do’ has garnered the band plenty of attention on national radio, while the prickly pop of ‘Top Floor’ sees Pollard berating two backpackers on the upper deck of a London bus who can’t keep their hands off each other. ‘She Makes Her Own Clothes’ and ‘Maiden Name’ show there is depth to the band’s sentiments, and they’re not averse to a love song with Amanda, although it could be about a girl or a subtle reference to a footy team; it’s hard to tell. There’s an intelligence behind these songs that’s rare in modern pop, and that alone makes this album worth a spin. (Inertia)