Wall of Arms by The Maccabees

Wall of Arms, the Maccabees' second album, landed on 4 May 2009 on Fiction, and it's the sound of the London band trading scrappy for sweeping. Markus Dravs, whose past clients include Björk, Arcade Fire and Coldplay, produced it, and where Orlando Weeks has said the debut Colour It In was cut in bits and pieces, this one was worked up in cities including Liverpool and Paris and hangs together like a proper statement.

Felix and Hugo White's guitars ring and pile up, Rupert Jarvis and new drummer Sam Doyle push hard underneath, and Weeks's quavering voice rides on top, growing as the songs do. "Love You Better" went out as the lead single a week ahead of the album. Boo Ritson made the cover, coating her subjects in high-gloss emulsion and photographing the result. Given to the Wild came next.

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