It has been a long wait for Infusion fans. The Australian trio, formerly of Wollongong and now it seems of no fixed address, have traversed the world in recent years riding the wave of success that followed their excellent debut release Six Feet Above Yesterday. There has been a significant gap between albums – almost 5 years – and in that time it is clear that the Infusion sound has shifted, morphed and certainly matured. With All Night Sun Light, the boys unashamedly set out to amass a collection of songs that are built around melodic hooks, catchy choruses and at times a remarkably overt pop sensibility. There are no instrumental numbers; no true dancefloor tracks which for some will be a disappointment yet their sophomore release is littered (but not filled) with gems.

The album starts with the current single Two Player Game and it is a rollicking beginning. Already saturating the airwaves, this tune captures Infusion 2.0 with those gritty beats and wailing synths somehow combining to create four minutes of radio friendly faux-pop. It works here but, sadly, not everywhere. Memory Cheats is full of that trademark social commentary but the electro bassline and gratuitous horns sound derivate. Dogtown comes off as a more lethargic version of Girls Can Be Cruel with all the original’s acerbic energy extracted. The boys are at their weakest when they try too hard to create straight-up pop as they sometimes miss that most important element – authenticity.

Yet they do still hit quite a few home runs. Their most successful attempt comes with the pumping wall-of-sound synths in All That’s In Your Head that wash easily over a guitar line that Duran Duran would be proud of. Gotta Leave Now, also ticks along with a relentless energy that melts into a glorious synth chorus and vocal hook that is classic sing-along material.

Without a doubt it is the quieter, more introspective moments where Infusion still shines brightest. Intelligent lyrics and beautifully crafted music with a touch of melancholy has been their calling card and here it is no different. Try It On successfully takes their sound to a haunting, introspective place that explores genuine emotion amidst carefully orchestrated strings and evocative lyrics. The discordant melancholy of So Soon is vintage Infusion, starting with a lingering musical box refrain that grows into a track laced with a savage beauty, creating something that is possibly the high point of the release. Their epic touch is demonstrated by the exultant violins of Falling Into Place, and the album fades to black with Horizons, which demonstrates their mastery of combining the acoustic and electronic into something greater than both.

Yet try as they might, Infusion are not a pop group. There is no doubt they offer a level of sophistication here but what is lacking is that instant accessibility that comes form some of the electro-pop counterparts. They have in places polished back the rough edge of their sound to the point that it has lost some of its impact. But while some of the songs lake grit, a few listens reveals the quality of the songwriting and production. Yes, it’s a cliché, but this album is a grower. Infusion have managed to walk the delicate tightrope that comes with a releasing a second long-player – this is still unmistakably an Infusion album, but one with a new focus. It certainly won’t alienate their legion of fans and may even introduce some new ones to the fold. They still know how to write a killer hook – it’s just a shame it is sometimes buried in sounds that stray too far from what they do best.