My last encounter with The Lillingtons was their haunting Stella Sapiente album from 2017, and I was lucky enough to catch them live on the back of that record. Fast-forward a couple of quiet years and The Lillingtons are back with something a little special. This new EP is a collection of covers of songs by the band Enemy You and is a benefit for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Lillingtons and Enemy You had parallel trajectories for some years, being label mates on both Lookout! And Fat Wreck, and so understandably they will have been affected when Enemy You vocalist David Jones took his own life in 2015.

Given the proximity of the two bands, these songs fit the Lillingtons style like a glove. Short, snappy bursts of melodic punk rock of the timeless variety. These songs bounce along, with opener Automaton setting the tone with a catchy-as-hell vocal line and killer woah-oh singalongs. There’s no let-up in energy – no acoustic power-ballad or anything thrown in, this is pure melodic punk energy from start to finish. The fact that former Enemy You members Chris (also of Nothington) and Ken (also of Dead To Me and Western Addiction) were involved in this release make this a worthwhile and fitting tribute. A huge musical ray of sunshine. Tom Chapman