This Et Al’s new E.P. Figure Eight is a little gem. It shows signs of a phenomenal growth in musical understanding and song writing nous compared to their previous release. The title song and first song on the album is a vicious raw and claustrophobic slab of rock with a dirty bass sound underpinning jagged drums and sinister riffage that at 1.22 opens up and unleashes a humongous breakdown before closing backing on itself for the final sprint to the finish.

'Medicine Hammer’ calms things down a notch but is no less intense and manic with a frantic drum line holding together some distinct and interesting melodies released through Wu’s stunning falsetto vocal. As Wu sings 'We were once nothing but flashes in the dark’ you sense that this will no longer be true for This Et Al.

'Ice Age’ is the song of the album, showing strength beyond the rest of the E.P. This could be massive if This Et Al play their cards right! Wu’s voice again provides an instantly hummable tune over a prominent spiky rhythm section, subsiding in the latter half of the song to let the guitars and piano do the talking and boy do they talk lifting the song to new heights of musicality.

The title of the last song brings to mind the Mighty Boosh but '(the tale of) Frosty Jackson’ doesn’t even begin to give you an idea of the colossal five minutes that lie in wait. An instrumental of the highest caliber which made the hairs of this reviewers neck stand on end as it engulfed his hearing in soaring melodies that grow and grow layer upon layer before reaching a magnificent crescendo that simply blows your head off.

At once psychotic and tender The Figure of Eight E.P. is the sound of a band who are more than capable of realising their musical ambitions, lets hope a full length is in the works because on the strength of this E.P. This Et Al’s time is now; miss them at your peril.

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