An all-encompassing aural assault, a force as unstoppable and fiercely alive as the tide. The post-rock powerhouse known as AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR do return with their 7th studio album, `Megafauna'.

The new album is headstrong exploration and heartfelt appreciation with all the intuition, intimacy and humour of four firm friends approaching their 20th year as a band.

The intent behind `Megafauna' is clear from the outset. Two guitars, bass and drums all recorded in a week erupt into effervescent life in an endorphin rush of collaboration and togetherness after the physical and psychological wilderness of isolation.

Lead single `Do Mo'r' is a preposterously playful collision of light-hearted guitar hooks, effortless jazz syncopation and the triumphant return of ASIWYFA's inimitable wall-of-sound distortion, whilst opening track `North Coast Megafauna' serves as an anthem for the whole album and perhaps for a band reinvigorated too; proudly wearing the joyously jarring confrontation of their sound on their sleeves.Elsewhere on `Megafauna', introspection and sombre sentimentality take centre stage with the downtempo `Years Ago' providing remarkable dynamic depth Megafauna' is the band's first new music since 2022's critically-acclaimed, limited released `Jettison', an ambitious multi-media ensemble piece packed full of experimentation and collaboration.

Jokingly referring to `Jettison' as the band's "mature record", guitarist Niall Kennedy frames the writing of `Megafauna' around the band's long-running mantra of `DO THE SCARY THING' which sees them constantly hurtling towards newness, towards progress, evolution and the unknown.

Whilst the new record is ASIWYFA taking on a more familiar, traditional form; in this post-'Jettison', post-pandemic world `Megafauna' is a deafening and defiant statement of intent from the band's propulsive core, celebrating togetherness over separation.

By the way, superb "Jettison" reissued now as well.