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Since their 2005 inception, The Reasoning have been touted as the new kids on the prog‐rock block, channelling Porcupine Tree‐esque guitar within a gothic frame. But with this, their fourth album, minus guitarist Owain Roberts (missing since March 2012), you’re just as likely to think ‘folk prog’.

This isn’t to say it lacks guts. Lacuna Coil meets Muse with a mandolin on tracks like No Friend Of Mine, for a new‐age take on prog rock. Original, crunching and soaring lead passages continue the promise initiated by earlier output.

Rachel Cohen’s vocal melodies add to the mysticism in places, but too often sound pasted on and wander like gently stoned pagans – exacerbating flatness in driftier moments, as do killingly unnecessary spoken‐word bits. Sort this, and they’ll be onto something.

Polly is deputy editor at Classic Rock magazine, where she writes and commissions regular pieces and longer reads (including new band coverage), and has interviewed rock's biggest and newest names. She also contributes to Louder, Prog and Metal Hammer and talks about songs on the 20 Minute Club podcast. Elsewhere she's had work published in The Musician, delicious. magazine and others, and written biographies for various album campaigns. In a previous life as a women's magazine junior she interviewed Tracey Emin and Lily James – and wangled Rival Sons into the arts pages. In her spare time she writes fiction and cooks.