Otala’s latest single continues to demonstrate their unique sound, with ‘Everything but the Hate’ proving to be an eclectic mix of genres combining post-punk aggression, jazz instrumentals and spoken word delivery.

The track starts slow, building the melancholy mood and hazy atmosphere. Soft shoe-gaze guitars slide and jangle in the background. Oscar Thorpe’s muttered, spoken word vocals are delivered sporadically, his voice raised when the music ups in tempo midway through. At times he sounds stressed, almost manic. The guitars become distorted, fuzzy. Underpinning all of this is Charlotte Foulkes’ mesmerising saxophone licks. They swirl throughout the song like smoke from a fire. The experimental sound climaxes in a spiralling reverberation of noise, bordering on psychedelic.

The Nottingham quintet refuse to be pigeonholed, from their distinctive blend of genres, to off-beat swung rhythms; everything feels different, unconventional. Even the name ‘Otala’, a genus of land snail, is slightly unorthodox. Although there’s not much out there that sounds exactly like Otala, fans of Black Country, New Road wouldn’t be disappointed here for an experimental post-punk sound. Similarly, English Teacher’s particular brand of off-kilter indie and spoken word vocals are reminiscent of Otala’s sound, as are Black Midi’s avant-garde jazz influences.