This lot were critically adored for their debut album, although we’re not sure that translated into sales (we think we read they sold about 50,000 copies). If you missed them then, they play a distinctive style of indie pop, distinctive because it’s very percussive, the band being led by a drummer.
The new album opens in the same way as they left off with two percussion instruments — piano and kick drum — laying down the rhythm. After that, like Balthazar above, it’s pretty much as before though the sound is smoother and less angular —they’re clearly fans of 60s surfer bands and there are lots of Beach Boys style harmonies and melody.
Like Balthazar, it suffers a little because the sound is so distinctive that all the surprise of the first album is lost for the second, always the danger with a band that follows its own path.
It’s more slickly produced (something the band are probably pleased with and good luck to them) but the bottom line is that the tunes that appealed because of their low-fi charm have all gone, replaced by slicker pop — there’s no Default, Firewater or Waveforms. The sound is radio friendly and the tunes catchy if a little blander: we’d guess the critics will be less lavish, but record sales will be higher; at the end of the day, they still have their distinctive sound. Try Giant or First Light.