North London noise-makers Sorry deliver their anticipated second album, a collection of achingly angsty and observant tracks as well as a few songs that could get lost in the industry’s ever-growing mass of grunge-indie-pop-rock. Anywhere But Here is a follow-up to their 2020 debut 925 which peaked at number 13 on the UK’s independent albums chart. 

Recorded with Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Sorry’s newest addition to their anti-pigeonhole discography is a medley of indie, pop and grunge, interwoven with hints of jazz. Sprinkles of brass instrumentals throughout the album echo some trending independent music from recent years (think Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘Kyoto’ and The 1975’s ‘Sincerity Is Scary’), while it all opens with indie-pop dance single ‘Let The Lights On’. Its generic bouncy riffs and repetitive lyrics would make an apt soundtrack for a coming-of-age contemporary movie and is the type of song that would wind up being your favourite on a background-music mix. 

Another single, ‘Key To The City’, contains some slightly clichéd lyrics that diminish the album’s status to something a little less intoxicating but the song is undoubtedly saved by its swirling 90s grunge-ish aura and dreamy background vocals. Louis O’Bryen’s gritty voice weaves in and out between the tracks intermittently, gelling with Asha Lorenz’s sweet melodies, creating a recognisable resonance between two long-standing friends and bandmates.

This link is most apparent in ‘There’s So Many People That Want To Be Loved’. Easily the album’s most unmissable track, its child-like voice and simple conversational melody create a sweet song for lovers of melancholy and people-watching. Closing with a Nirvana-esque reflection on angst and fear, ‘Again’ makes for an apt ending to a layered but uncomplex record that can’t be defined by a single genre. 

Released on Friday 7 October.