In an age when pop floods the airwaves and bands are crying out to make guitar music great again, Dinosaur Pile-Up have timed their return impeccably. Here on the 12-song ‘I’ve Felt Better’ — their fourth studio album — you have the culmination of perseverance, talent and a welcome turnaround in fortune. And if you’re a fan of their previous works, you’ll be delighted to know this collection very much boxes up the same wares — more sounds of decades gone by. 

Since they gifted us 2019’s iconic ‘Celebrity Mansions’, the trio has had a fair stint out of the limelight, owing to a medically induced hiatus (frontman Matt’s ulcerative colitis diagnosis). Although it’s been a long-awaited resurgence musically, in that period, I have managed to see them twice; once as darkness loomed at a hot, sticky Truck Festival in 2022, then later that year, from the balcony of the O2 Academy at Live at Leeds. And despite their badly dealt cards, you’ll soon detect there’s been no succumbing to undertones of pity; they’re spelling it ‘party’ round these parts…

You’d be forgiven for thinking DPU were American exports, but no — Leeds can claim these rockers, much to Yorkshire’s joy, as this is a comeback album of the ultimate gravitas. Sure, they’ve spared no expense in plating up helpings of their signature DIY-style sensibilities, but as you’d hope for, all with a seriously polished rock veneer. 

The record naturally opens with rage-soothing ‘’Bout To Lose It’, a track you can’t help but belt out at the top of your lungs when things just aren’t going your way. We’ve all been there, but DPU have become the accidental experts. ‘I’ve Felt Better’, which nods obviously to ill health, comes second, prior to the never-before-heard ‘Punk Kiss’. But if there’s one song that’s re-lodged itself in my brain post-single-release but after the album landed, it’s the mopey yet pacy, oh-so anthemic ‘Sick Of Being Down’. It’s super-shreddy skater rock; a revival of those OG blink-182 vibes, if you will. ‘My Way’ does wonders in stoking that same sonic fire, then, if that wasn’t enough, you get this tangible ‘Stacy’s Mom’ feel to the ‘Big Dogs’ opening. Cheeky satire? Nah, that couldn’t be DPU’s game…

Of course, there’s got to be some tender stuff in there — but without the slush, obviously. That’s the niche of the bassy but brash ‘Big You and Me’, though the raw teenage angst of ‘Quasimodo Melonheart’ makes that beat stand the tallest for me. It’s for those really seeking an emo renaissance. And it’s not every day you can fit the term ‘nimrod’ into lyrics anymore, is it? 

Softer elements persist on ‘Sunflower’, which seems to be fuelled by acoustic melodies, yet it does evolve into a thrashy chorus. What’s more, if you can’t just let bands be, you’ll find a few new nuggets of differentiation have gone into the mix on ‘Unfamiliar’. It’s still a bop but just a bit outside their standard wheelhouse, so get ready for that. 

By and large, DPU have stuck to what they know best — and so they should’ve! It’s good to have them swaggering back. And I’m nicely giddy now for their Manchester gig. 

If you only download one track, let it be: ‘Sick Of Being Down’