Audioalysis

These young Glasgow gents aim for a New Romantic styled electro-rock sound with a heavy keyboard presence and strong, melancholy male vocals. The accomplished playing and by-the-book structuring of this EP gives it the inescapable 'playing safe' hallmark of an early self-funded release, but thrills are in scarce supply through the four tracks. Everything But Love energises proceedings briefly with guitars and keys vaguely reminiscent of Muse's latest material, and this glimpses at where Audioalysis could conceivably find a niche in the industry. However, any good work is undone as the lyrics teeter frequently on high-school cliche, projecting a banal insincerity on the music that isn't always deserved. Compounding this, the closing track, She's a Lot Like You, pushes good taste over the edge with the saccharine musical equivalent of a Richard Curtis film, without the intended laughs. [Jamie Borthwick]