Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Celebration Guns introduced themselves as an ‘indie/emo/progressive’ band and while it’s true they do dip their toes into each of those genres, we believe they may be underselling themselves a little. Having just released a split EP with fellow Arizonians B.O.T.S (also well worth checking out, they reminded us of Adventures), Celebration Guns have a lot to cheer about right now.

‘Old Habits’ is a song that recalls early Bloc Party mixed with a harsher-sounding Mimas. With a mathy opening, the vocals are not brought in until the halfway point of the song – and it’s here that singer Justin Weir talks about lost youth and how ‘old habits die hard’. There’s also a tribal but charmingly appealing sense of fun running throughout the song. It remains gleeful even while the effects pedals are brought to the fore. ‘Former Lover’ is more in line with the likes of the Appleseed Cast but the complex rhythm is joined by a rather festive glockenspiel effect. With its perfectly set emo lyrics – ‘Remember we both were kids, we played a part in this’ – it’s a song that will appeal to fans of everyone from Doves to The World Is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die.

Head over to Celebration Guns’ Bandcamp and give them a salute – they deserve it.