Formed in 2001 out of the ashes of groups such as Conor Oberst's Park Ave., Tilly & the Wall debuted in the States with its acclaimed, aptly-titled 2004 release Wild Like Children. o, its third record and first since 2006's Bottoms of Barrels, is the group's most musically diverse to date, as the five-piece tackles a variety of subgenres while remaining tethered to its quirky indie sensibilities.

The galloping '80s-synth pop of Dust Me Off offers glimmery doot-doot-doot melodies, and the delicate, angelic chorus of Falling Without Knowing will send shivers down the spine even as it liberally adapts the backing track to Modern English's I Melt With You.

Williams' tap-dancing is more fully developed than ever, fleshed out by additional percussion via cymbals, stomps and even an actual drum set now and then. This rhythmic artillery, coupled with the aggressive one-two vocal punch of Kianna Alarid and Neely Jenkins (guitarist Derek Pressnall is generally MIA from singing duties), spawns some of the band's loudest and angriest material.

Pot Kettle Black stomps along rockingly enough, with some riffy guitar work, but like a disposable Jet tune it's also drizzled with ugly lines like "Did you hear about that bitch and what she did?". The glorious garage-rock buzz of Too Excited is meant to be blasted from crappy pub speakers, but the repeated "F-you"s in the shout-along chorus leave something to be desired lyrically. The words are delivered passionately, but a group known for its earnest, happy-go-lucky indie aesthetic inevitably suffers when its songwriting takes a turn for the negative.

This isn't to say that cheeriness doesn't make intermittent appearances on the album. The midtempo power-pop number Chandelier Lake twinkles exuberantly, while the plaintive piano ballad Tall Tall Grass finds Alarid wistfully recalling that "when there wasn't anywhere for me to go, I stumbled into deep love with your rock and roll". Other tunes like Cacophony and I Found You, while upbeat, feature slightly chaotic instrumental mixes of trumpet and electric guitar that smother their hooks.

The most out-of-left-field performance on o is saved for last with album closer Heartbeats, a slickly-produced dance-rock gem filled with skittering beats, an effervescent energy and enough glass-half-full hooks to fill a Natasha Bedingfield EP ("let that beat control your body, baby!").

In contrast to the potty-mouthed numbers that precede it, the song's starry-eyed optimism is contagious and solidifies Tilly & the Wall's status as an indie band with dance-floor aspirations. It's a tricky balancing act, but the group somehow emerges from the rubble seemingly able to have its cake and eat it too.

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Mercury Prize 2009 nominees