Maps & Atlases released their 2009 full-length debut, Perch Patchwork to great acclaim; eclectic and ambitious, it hopped between genres with quirky insouciance. Their newest offering is a mesh of cold, shiny math rock and fidgety folk pop and it's all very clever; complex layering, neat little hooks and unconventional time signatures drawn together beneath the impressively versatile vocals of lead singer Dave Davison.

On first listen, all the exciting tidy technical precision and sophisticated musical shadings, whilst certainly laudable, make the album drag. The soul and warmth of the debut is replaced by the self-consciously cerebral and leaves a group of tracks that, though pleasant enough, often struggle to be memorable and distinctive.

Opener 'Old and Grey' is disappointing; overlong and full of lyrics too pointedly poignant to actually be affecting. It fortunately leads into the excellent, buoyant 80’s-esque 'Fever' which bounces about to textured guitars and punchy drum beats. 'Silver Self' is similarly playful and sunny, with perky a capella harmonies rising over expansive musical backing. 'Important', closing the album, trundles through a thick, gloomy atmosphere of strangled, full-throated vocals and soaring piano- it's Maps & Atlases's quasi-ballad. Breaking with the tight neatness elsewhere, it's also the album's stand-out piece.

The rest of the record is perfectly adequate; a map of complex, sharp instrumental layering, it nods to acts from Paul Simon to tUnE-yArDs and only the oppressively bland 'Vampires' could really be called weak. Certainly there's an apparent lack of experimentation and diversity in the album, frustrating given the group's eclectic musical references and obvious technical artfulness, but it's a mistake to write off Beware and Be Grateful immediately. Further listens make clearer all the clever and sharp nuances in the material and ultimately it has the potential to be a very rewarding listen.