Action Group - Greed

Local sextet Action Group's first album displays a confidence not normally discernable on debut LPs. The disregard for structure and point blank refusal to conform to any one genre, combined with the nomadic and sprawling quality of this album, justifies the Broken Social Scene comparisons. Here we have 15 diverse tracks, each with disparate licks, riffs and beats, woven into one rich, restless and frantic tapestry that nods proudly to its influences, before shagging their wives and making off into the sunset. From the Pixies-esque bassline of Breaking Windows to the Mr E melancholy of Salvage Song or the 80s electronica of Burn You With My Lasers, it's more absorbing with each listen. Although lyrically reflective and dark, Greed doesn't languish and is driven by the effervescent rhythmic backbone. Their maverick, alternative employment of instrumentation, sound effects and production (see Swag) indicate that as excellent a taster as this is, we should be hearing a lot more from Action Group. [Finbarr Bermingham]