The Tamborines – Sea Of Murmur

There’s very little to actively dislike about C86-styled indiepop types The Tamborines,. Sugar-sweet melodies, neat hooks, a thoroughly enjoyable tendency to slather their winsome strums with crumpled sheets of fuzz… in fact, place any one of Sea Of Murmur’s 11 tracks on a 45 and you’d probably fall for it. Sticking them all together where the problems lie: however gorgeous their effortless jangle may be (Another Day being a prime example), cohesion keeps wobbling into sameness. 

Dreaming Girl is the album’s one detour, but sadly its faux-Mary Chain seriousness is hard to swallow in the midst of so much plaintive pop, stumbling with the air of an unconvincing character actor. Instead, trumps go to Slowdown’s genuinely brilliant distorto-rush; the one moment of wracked glory that suggests The Tamborines’ placid waters may yet become stormier and – hopefully – more thrilling. Sea of Murmur certainly isn't bad, but it's up to your jangle threshold as to whether that's a recommendation. [Will Fitzpatrick]