Hypothesis: The most successful songs are those that people can sing-along to and have riffs or progressions that guitarists want to learn. After a couple of rotations of The Pictures’ second album, Kicking Indifference, it’s likely you’ll be humming melodies, singing in the car and searching for your JD .22 pick after plugging in your Wah.

A cliché, yes – however this disc is one of those that rewards on repeated listens. Although a jangly guitar album at its core, this is certainly not a CD full of songs that sound the same. Nor is it a reprise of their killer debut Pieces of Eight. Davey Lane and Luke Thomas traverse quite a spectrum of styles on this ten track follow up – from straight rock, to ballads, psychodelic funk and beyond.

Opening with surefire single Can You Hear It, the first drum roll and rhythm guitar chords could be mistaken for a You Am I intro, until Lane starts to sing. From the moment his sweet voice commences, the melody changes. While the crescendo-and-relax structure of the song is familiar, it only serves as evidence of his input into YAI’s latest offerings.

Second track So Long My Friend, is reminiscent of quintessential Australian surf rock, with muffled in-and-out wah, thick thumping kick drum, clipped lyrics, picks dragged down strings and a soaring chorus. It scoots along like a ride in a classic car down the David Low Way (insert your local long beachside road here) on a sunny afternoon. Hopefully not overlooked as a summer release single, it would be quite comfortable played alongside skeg anthems of yore from The Sunnyboys, The Stems and V Spy V Spy.

Touted as one of the key tracks, Better Let Go sounds like a ballad that Jet wished they had written. It has a lot of attributes, however remains fairly generic against many of the other stylistically interesting tracks. Thank You Honey picks up the pace again, shiny with horns, hand-clapping, clichéd lyrics and obvious rhymes. Give It Some is a perpendicular departure, leaning toward early ‘80s funk rock. Layered with fat bass, thick keys, little woot woots and Scissor Sister-esque high-pitched harmonies, it is a mid-album detour worth taking.

Extending the instrumentation to include strings as well as horns, Cabin Fever is very pretty; its whimsical use of organs adding a dream-like floatiness. Dipping in tempo one more time, Lane’s lilting storytelling in Maisie Rose is a little Bob Evans meets The Beatles. I’m Safe could easily be mistaken for a Ben Kweller number. The stripped-back piano, divine vocal phrasing and intuitive drumming bring a distinct ‘young man seeks safe haven’ poignancy.

Closer The Lion’s Share of You has all of the ingredients required for a sensational live sound. Reverb on the vocals elevates them to a stadium atmosphere – at volume it’s big and anthem-like. It’s a kicker and makes one very sorry to have missed their recent launch show not so long ago.

With so many influences pushed into ten songs, Kicking Indifference certainly does just that. Too interesting to ignore, it’s a sensational follow up that’s been worth the wait. Now, where’s that pick? There are riffs to learn.

Kicking Indifference is out now on Highspot Records through Fuse Music.