6/10

For almost a decade, raucous outfit You Me At 6 have found themselves at the centre of the UK's rock scene. The band have managed to maintain a strong fanbase throughout their first four albums, and now look to continue that success with album number five, 'Night People'. But from the first listen of this new release, it is clear that the Surrey-based band are looking to spread their creative wings and deliver a vastly different direction to their previous work.

While their catalogue to date has mainly skirted the angst-ridden pop-rock throwback left behind by the emo movement of the noughties, this new record sees them take on a far darker and more brooding sound. With opener and title-track 'Night People' taking inspiration from the powerful core sound of The Black Keys, it is clear that the band are looking for a new persona. But fans of the band won't be too put off as these new ideas are only found scattered, as much of the album remains largely true to their intentions to date.

It seems like this record is a play of two halves. On one side, it is clear they are looking to break away from what people know them for, yet there is still plenty of the same old You Me At 6 on here to appease their loyal fanbase. It gives the record a sometimes confusing direction, making it hard to get into and leaving some tracks sounding far superior to others. Clearly this album is acting as a litmus test for their own personal evolution, and one that doesn't quite give the result it was intending.