Trust Leeds’ wild ones Hookworms not to stay still: after receiving near-unanimous praise for 2014’s ‘The Hum’, reimagining drone, psych and post-punk as the aural equivalent of a Jackson Pollok painting, the band decided what that sucker needs is more layers of paint. Enter ‘Negative Space’, their first single in three years, the seven-minute sound of a dance-punk band sampling their own instruments through an MRI machine. It’s blinding, though – and with the charming scuzziness of ‘The Hum’ lifted, Hookworms’ pop-fuelled ambitions become clear: they’re coming for all of us, with a wild, kitchen-sink abandon that would give Mew a run for their money. There’s little doubt that the Northern five-piece are throwing everything they’ve got at this year’s upcoming album; which is a terrifying and thrilling prospect in itself, but chuck in their reputation as a blistering live act, and you’ve almost certainly run out of excuses not to let these nerdy charmers work their weird magic on you.

Sat 4 Mar, 7.30pm at The Hare and Hounds, 106 High St, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ. £11 seetickets.com