Endless Now

“Tame the Sun” opens up the second album by Britain’s Male Bonding, sounding surprisingly — like various ‘90s indie bands run through a pop filter. But as Endless Now progresses, John Webb’s brighter guitar sound and the reverb sheen on his (and bass player Kevin Hendrick’s) vocals morph from a sweet froth on tracks like “Tame the Sun” and “Carrying” to a grittier foam topping off tunes like “Bones” and “What’s That Scene.” Fans of their debut can rest easy: any concerns of the trio going soft will be allayed as the listener makes their way through Endless Now. Male Bonding hasn’t softened so much as clarified: there is a purity of sound that allows their tunes resonate with more permanence. They cleanly layer ringing, melodic guitars with breakneck speeds and halcyon harmonies, and while there is not a surfeit of fuzz to be found, songs like “Mysteries Complete” have an astounding amount of stickiness while maintaining an aggressive, densely packed energy. Endless Now feels far from endless. On some plays, it’s just too short.