Among their eclectic influences, they cite Muse, Temper Trap, Bloc Party, Chvrches, David Bowie, Human League, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, Fleetwood Mac and the Dave Matthews Band.
How do these disparate elements come together on this, their debut album? Quite nicely, actually. Opener ‘Come Again Soon’ could reasonably be described as an electro-rock anthem with a big, big chorus, and it paves the way for a set that forges a gothy / nu-wave disco sound.
The slower tracks are perhaps the least successful – by which I mean, the least distinctive – but they so at least succeed in remaining on the right side of ‘epic’ without slipping into ‘overblown’ territory, and for the most part, they focus on the more uptempo end of things.
Rebecca Davies proves herself to be a strong vocalist, and on ‘Make Me Hate You’, her power is augmented with some thunderous percussion and sharp-edged guitars, calling to mind Siouxsie and Skeletal Family more than any large-lunged contemporary artists. If the synths that scribble their way across ‘L.E.E.D.S’ seem a bit hectic and 80s pop gone mad, the thumping rhythm and choppy guitars give it plenty of edge. The soaring, angular and industrial-edged neogoth anthem ‘Broken Toys’ is one of the album’s clear standouts, although album closer ‘For’ builds to a fitting climax, with a commanding vocal performance and loping rhythm that drives to the conclusion in classic style.
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