This has to be a contender for album of the year, it’s piano led indie pop rock driven sound is one that’s just so infectious that i defy anyone not to love this band, from the magnificent opening track through to the epic closer this is one album that when it ends you just have to press play once more… Stunning…. and then some… Oh aye it’s got a good tune. See The Light’s got good tunes by the skipload. But I guess the question remains Why is the second album by The Hours called See The Light?

‘It means loadsa things, don’t it?’ fires back Antony Genn. Which is how he says most things: fires them back. It’s also how he sings his poetic, rousing, carousing lyrics: fires them out. ‘It’s a message to me personally,’ the Sheffield-born singer continues, alluding to a past with more than its share of (self-induced) difficulties, ‘and it’s a message to everyone. We’re living in dark times. The song See The Light is about hope; it’s a plea to hold on in times that are difficult. I think it’s important that we all look for positive things.’ ‘And then,’ he adds, warming to his theme, ‘it also means: see the light, everyone, The Hours are fucking back and we’re hear to stay ‘cause were a proper fucking band that means what we say.’

Antony ‘Ant’ Genn is not the messiah, he’s just a very passionate man, a quality he shares with his partner in The Hours, Lancashire-born Martin ‘Slatts’ Slattery. Like rock’n’roll Zeligs, they’d both been round the houses in other musical outfits – from Robbie Williams to Grace Jones via Black Grape and Joe Strummer and the infamous onstage nudity-at-Glastonbury-with-Elastica incident (yep, that was Genn) - before coming together in 2006 to write for and by themselves. Their enthusiasm, and their way with a punchy chorus and a crunchy piano riff, and their desire to craft lyrics that mean something, made Narcissus Road a roaringly brilliant debut album – one crafted by two men in a draughty former dairy in northwest London. Few who heard pull-yourself-up-the-bootstraps anthem Ali In The Jungle remained unmoved by Hours-power.

Now they’ve done it again, with See The Light. Only this time, with the help of legendary producer Flood and a full band, and aided by the art, inspiration and support of old pal Damien Hirst, The Hours pair have created a bigger, bolder, better record. It’ll blow your ears off and blast your heart. It’s that good. Take first single Big Black Hole, a soaring pop anthem whose golden melody belies its dark roots.

See The Light is released on Is Good, a new label set up by The Hours and Hirst. ‘He’s like a kid in a sweetshop, Damien,’ notes Slattery. ‘He’s an incredible creative force. He’s got where he is because he gets up early in the morning, goes to bed late at night, and fills all those hours with a plethora of powerful visual ideas. He’s got an incredible energy and we’re lucky to be around that on loads of levels.’

The artist is working on the sleeve artwork. ‘It’s a good job he’s good!’ says Genn with a grin. ‘What if he was our best mate and he was shit? “No, no I’ll do yer sleeve, I’ve got this brilliant idea – ducks! And glue. On a dartboard, with some Viscount biscuits.”’

‘A song like These Days is essentially the only message I ever have,’ concludes Genn. ‘We’re all gonna be fucking dead soon so don’t wait till you’re on your deathbed to say, “oh I wish I’d told that bird behind the bar that I fancied her, I wish I’d stopped doing that wank job and gone and done something else I really loved…” Do it now!  ‘Cause these days are all we have. I believe that more than every now. We better live, man!’