Exit: Pursued By a Bear EPBAB***

Cork five-piece Exit: Pursued by a Bear have been on must-hear lists since the release of debut EP Amédéelast October. Applying determination and smarts, E: PBAB deliver a debut album that knows when to pull its punches as much as it hits the target. Two of 2010's most well-received tunes are here ( Pish!and Amédée), but it is various other tunes ( Charter of Basic Principles, Lucid Me, You Got Burned, Hug) that attract your full attention. Hug, in particular, is one of those slow- motion growers that seep into the system and stay there via an arrangement and use of instrumentation that comes with knowing the difference between pragmatism and pretention. To top it off, a neat sense of krautrock tick-tock and Zappa-esque humour help drive the songs into areas normally not taken. See exitpursuedbyabear.com

Download tracks: Lucid Me, Hug