Every now and then a band comes along with a slew of buzz words attached to their name. Ranging from 'next big thing' to 'one to watch' via 'genre-bending', Bastille charmed fans and critics last year with a handful of EPs and mixtapes that covered everything from indie to re-workings of '90s club classics. As such, the challenge for their debut album was a balance of all their unique quirks without overdoing it.

Fortunately, it's a feat Bastille have fully achieved on Bad Blood. The out-of-the-blue chart success of current single 'Pompeii' proves their knack to pen a bouncy pop number without the services of Guetta and co - and doing it with aptitude and panache. The same qualities reside in ska-flecked 'Bad Blood', the harp-pinging 'Things We Lost In the Fire' and the glitchy synths of 'Flaws'.

Unsurprisingly, love plays a crucial role throughout the collection. Haunting ballad 'Overjoyed' hears singer Dan Smith hoping to reason with a loved one over a soul-warming piano line, while 'Oblivion' is awash with quivering strings as he worries about his lover's potential blackout - the result a poetic dialogue that's both unassuming and crucially self-aware.

Longtime fans will notice the added flourishes of strings and choirs on early tracks 'Icarus' and 'Laura Palmer'. The former becomes evermore epic in its execution, while the latter remains a heart-pulsing anthem destined for a single re-release. Some might criticise the collection for being too polished for a debut set, but with addictive melodies, humble lyrics and a cohesive sound, Bastille are a band where the buzz words couldn't be truer.

5

Tracks to download: 'Laura Palmer', 'Pompeii', 'The Weight Of Living, Pt. II', 'Icarus', 'Oblivion'
If you like this, you'll like: Coldplay, Florence + the Machine

Watch the music video for Bastille's 'Pompeii' below: