The Von Bondies

It's been a good few years since we've heard from the Von Bondies and despite having ditched members and grown up a little, the band still sound like the Subways' world-weary older siblings. For their third long player they've produced another solid album but one that doesn't show any real progress. Not poppy enough to say they've sold out and not off-the-wall enough to say they've lost it, Love, Hate and Then There's You does go beyond the limits of their 2004 sophomore album but not by very much. If one of these songs is going to save them from languishing in relative obscurity by pushing them onto radio play lists it'll be the slightly more mainstream "21st Birthday" rather than first single "Pale Bride," a guitar-driven pseudo-anthem that despite being brilliant simply preaches to those already converted to the Von Bondies' sound. It's a good thing then that their style hasn't yet become tired, and grimy, bitchy tracks such as "Shut Your Mouth" are as satisfying as "My Baby's Crying" ever was.