Australia’s Arrows have mastered the post-rock genre. Try and Stay Upright, the band’s sophomore effort, features six deep, brooding tracks. At their best, Arrows channels both the music and emotions of bands like Appleseed Cast and Mineral.

As a whole, Try and Stay Upright is pretty slow. The most upbeat song, “Calling Your Sponsor,” is barely even mid-tempo. But that’s exactly what Arrows is going for, and it works. The real defining characteristic of Arrows is front man Anthony Morgan’s vocals. His gruff singing falls somewhere between David Bazan and Chuck Ragan, but his honest delivery makes Try and Stay Upright a good listen.

(Hobbledehoy Records, PO Box 3029, Nth Ivanhoe, VIC 3079 Australia)