On the first listen Hull based band Horse Guards Parade's 'Ten Songs' lulls you into a daze that, by the end, leaves you unsure how you really felt about it. While it's easy to listen to, it's hard to tell at once if it's really interesting. The good news is that once you get around to the second listen, breeze past the superficially understated style and start to engage with what's really going on, it's actually a really gratifying record.

Initially I had a bit of a problem with the often-effected lead guitar tone, which seems to stick out on a few tracks and send the mix off balance. It's not sure whether it wants to allude to late psychedelic folk or, in its more overdriven moments, touch on alt-rock. Really,  'Ten Songs' doesn't quite subscribe to either style and for a while this sounds out of place, but as the record progresses it becomes clear that, though it's subtle, there's a lot of variation here, and this choice of chorus-rich, oscillating tone fits the vibe of the record well.

The opening guitars of first track 'Everybody's Going Back to Your House' kick up a haze that sedates and swells from song to song, and isn't fully dispersed until the noise climax and tight drumming of penultimate 'How Can You Take Me Dancing?' In between you've got a handful of excellently constructed songs among only a couple of weaker ones. Highlights are definitely the hypnotic and actually pretty stunning guitar intros of 'It Ended in A Haze' and, particularly, 'She Looked like Henry Moore', the subtle ambient soundscapes of 'This City's on Fire' and the well-placed rock n roll number 'The Lies', which nicely sets up the climax and denouement of the record as a whole.

The vocals are for the most part well done,only occasionally falling a little short on impact (though this is more of a production issue). The lyrics are strong, with a dry honesty that rarely misses, and at their best, recall the sincere, blunt wit of bands like The Wave Pictures, and the best of anti-folk. In a few places, notably on 'It Ended in a Haze', they even display the rare skill of making the achingly banal seem, lyrically, achingly beautiful.

Overall, Ten Songs is a record that, despite betraying itself on the first impression as a little mild, has a lot going for it. It quietly incorporates a number of styles and sounds without ruining its flow. A subtle album, not at all times consistent, but if you've got the time to engage with ityou'll find some great moments. Having already released a self-titled EP and played with the likes of Pavement, expect good things.