Mayday Parade are about to crown off their most productive periods of their career. In celebration of crossing the two-decade mark as a band, they’ve released 30 songs in the past 18 months across three different releases – Sweet, Sad and now Sugar. It’s incisive but with a cosy familiarity, a concise encapsulation of the identity the Tallahassee emo crew have sculpted over years. If the more widescreen Sweet and the introspective Sad were two opposing poles, Sugar represents the line that connects them.

Sugar has a big, warm heart and never for a moment attempts to conceal it. First song proper Blame It On The Youth swings big with its major-key riffing and ultra-sweetened hooks, landing on a fresh if slightly heavy-handed sentiment about sticking up for a misunderstood generation. ‘Don't blame it on the youth and cover up everything that they do,’ sings Derek Sanders. ‘They're too young to believe they can do any good.’ Later on, Weekend Music is a joyous, sun-soaked daydream of a track, while Lying To Myself represents its cloudier flipside but finds warmth in the everyday melancholia nonetheless.

That feeling also trickles into Two Hearts, which stands as one of the album’s strongest moments, seemingly with enough emotion to fuel a rocket to the moon. In fact, it shows up the back half of the album precisely because it finds Mayday Parade in a slightly different lane, and there’s a bit of a lack of variety as the record nears its conclusion. While Sweet and Sad mixed in more fresh ideas, this is a moment of touching base with their core elements, and while that can mean a bit of retreading familiar ground, there’s certainly comfort that long time fans can find within it. And, of course, it’s sharp and lovable as ever.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Taking Back Sunday, As It Is, The Maine

Sugar is released on July 24 via MHE.