Bricolage - Bricolage

Bricolage are unashamedly in thrall to Scottish indie from the 1980s. There's no denying that the Glasgow-based foursome can pull off a convincing Orange Juice impression, as evidenced by Footsteps, on which vocalist-guitarists Graham Wann and Wallace Meek channel Collins and Kirk's vocal interplay and sunshine-bright guitar lines. Elsewhere on their eponymous debut, Bricolage infuse their Postcard pastiche with Strokesian swaggering rhythms and a touch of Britpop jangle. A revival of literary pop will always be welcome to these ears, but much of the original Postcard bands' brilliance lay in their shambling towards a bright new musical future. Glimmers of individuality appear on tracks such as the punchy Flowers of Deceit, but until Bricolage carve out their own distinct sound, they face an age-old problem: no matter how accomplished your interpretation of your heroes is, when you stick so slavishly to their musical template, you run the risk of sounding like mere parrots squawking back the old songs. [Gillian Watson]