Post-grunge, experimental rock, alternative persuasion ? call them what you want. Blue October have done a damn fine job in blurring the so-called borders between various musical genres.

The Texas-bred quintet ? though not yet worth their Pink Floyd and Genesis comparisons, as hailed by some premature publications ? deliver an outstanding follow-up to 2007's 'Foiled' with their fifth studio album 'Approaching Normal'.

It is their latest offering's overall complexity rather than its individual songs that impresses first-time listeners and ardent fans alike, offering an ongoing satisfaction that belies its predecessor's patchy roots. Where 'Foiled' was innovative but inconsistent, 'Approaching Normal' is dynamic in its entirety.

'Dirt Room', 'Say It' and 'My Never' are the hit singles lavished all over the media of late ? and rightly so ? but in amongst the determined trio lay more gems appropriate for an audience in search of lyrical depth and expressive musicianship.

'Kangaroo Cry' ? a luring oddity in its own right ? and 'Jump Rope' ? an ode to battling the odds ? make for appreciable listening, while 'Should Be Loved' ? a bow to self-loathing ? and 'Picking Up Pieces' ? more self-indulgence from lead singer Justin Furstenfeld ? turn the tide in the face of all that is average.

There's no getting away from this album's vividness and ? if they stick to their nonconformist guns, Furstenfeld and company will ultimately convert the impulsive associations they've received into deserved accolade.