Until their 2012 Mercury Prize-nominated record, Given To The Wild, The Maccabees seemed to fly under the radar, neither lauded nor disliked.
Marks To Prove It has a boldness, perhaps bolstered by their critical acclaim, that captivates. There's a patient rise and fall, whether in the frenetically urgent title track or lilting dirge River Song with its rousing harmonised chorus, "You're not getting any younger". These mass sing-alongs are where the band really shine, horns and Orlando Weeks' voice billowing bittersweet on Something Like Happiness. Bright and beautiful indie rock, the simplicity shouldn't be dismissed.
