Dancing Mice - Eroded

Edinburgh's Dancing Mice start their third LP Eroded strongly, with It's Abnormal nodding knowingly to the wistful drama of New Order et al. If a single lurked on Eroded, it would have to be this. It boasts a grand chorus, although some of the fun is curtailed by a crowded arrangement and some hurried-sounding guitar work. Like the cluttered hysteria of, say, Oingo Boingo, a distinction between witty, knowingly ham posture and all out conviction is often difficult to spot. It's unlikely that the whole 52 mins could have been free of the latter. Especially given the earnest, even plaintive, departure of Kelticfunfair, an Eno-esque exploration of the subconscious - given the apparent straightness of these Mice's laces, probably through hypnosis or dreams. It's the only track that really allows singer Ian Deary's thoughtful verses, which sound crammed in elsewhere, room to elicit the sort of images and atmospheres they are capable of forming. His sax, too, is terrifically mournful. Enjoyably unfashionable drum programming and other mischievously naff timbres make Eroded a more entertaining listen than first impressions suggest. Unfortunately an untidiness and a lack of cohesion leave you at times unsure whether this is a band with an inclination solely toward the obtuse, or one that's slightly out of control. [Abe Gangfield]