Circuits— Bright as Midnight
(Try Science!)Light hearted sugary indie pop that feels as familiar as your mum's cooking wafting down the hallway on a warm summers evening. Endearingly, Circuits' latest release is a happy-go-lucky collection of melodic choruses.
"City of Lights," with its heady mix of ska style guitar and catchy beat, tells a tale of fireworks and streets paved with gold, while "Young Enough to Care" captures a more languid approach.
Rolling lyrics tell of cultural faux pas between short, rapid beats and buzzsaw guitars that, although enjoyable, have got the potential to be irritatingly repetitive, an unfortunate theme throughout the album. CB
Three stars
Albert Hammond Jr— Como Te Llama
(Rough Trade)The world isn't crying out for another solo record by Albert Hammond Jr, especially not one which sounds fundamentally similar to the band that he already plays in. However like his debut album Yours to Keep, this is an extremely likeable, undemanding garage pop record, which just about retains enough in the way of invention to make it into a worthwhile exercise.
"In My Room" is reminiscent of both Bowie and Guided By Voices, whilst 'Borrowed Time' recalls both The Clash and, dare I say it, The Police. "Spooky Couch" is the odd one out, coming on like Moon Safari era Air. Another creditable solo effort from Hammond Jr. PH
Three-and-a-half stars
White Denim— Workout Holiday
(Full Time Hobby)Feted by many of those who attended South by Southwest this year, White Denim arrive with their debut album, which is an intermittently interesting work.
"Let's Talk About It," the first track and recent single, is a fully formed storming garage rock anthem, possessing the kind of riff which sticks in your mind for days.
The rest of the album is less coherent, and though this is undoubtedly intentional to some degree, there is a feeling that some more of the kind of direct songwriting showcased on the opener wouldn't go amiss.
Still, this is a young band and one that shows some promise. PH
Two-and-a-half stars
The Presets— Apocalypso
(Modular)Unashamedly kitsch and in thrall to the 1980s, The Presets' second LP displays a fierce devotion to Depeche Mode, especially on new single "This Boy's in Love."
However the key focus of the record is hands-in-the-air moments for the superclub crowd, meaning bombastic bass, retrofuturist synths and a faintly comical lyrical delivery by Julian Hamilton, the main vocalist.
It all amounts to a record which is difficult to take remotely seriously when listened to from the comfort of an armchair but which might make a great deal more sense to the gurning denizens of clubland. PH
Two stars
Thomas White— I Dream of Black
(Drift Records)Wispy vocals and psych guitars are the prominent features in Thomas White's I Dream of Black.
An album that grew from the desire of creating a home-made, non-studio glossed album (read: tape recorder in the back room). It's moody, slightly on the eerie side and enough to make any depressant take that final leap towards oblivion.
"Starry Night #2" displays White's trademark vocals that are more breathless whispers than recognisable singing. "This is a Little Interlude" provides a hint of a more vibrant track that instantly enlivens a bleak album, though unfortunately this is, quite literally, just an interlude. CB
Three stars
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