Fops – Yeth, Yeth, Yeth

Fops are a pop superduo of sorts, comprising Thee More Shallows' vocalist Dee Kesler and Ral Partha Vogalbacher lyricist Chadwick Donald Bidwell. Their debut, Yeth, Yeth, Yeth — the first of two albums the duo have penned for release — is a fully immersed listening experience, filled with motorik rhythms and glistening electronic melodies, which couple neatly with a songcraft reminiscent of Echo And The Bunnymen or The Smiths.

Although the album's purported novel-like narrative can be hard to follow, due to generous lashings of guitar and vocal reverb shrouding much of the lyricism, that doesn't detract from the musicality and songwriting nous present throughout. Maple Mountain and Loch Haven personify the infatuation with '80s New Wave which Fops clearly harbour, but the ingenious effects and untraceable electronic touches ensure that these aren't mere rehashes, but rather living, breathing, pop organisms which stand up on their own two feet. [Martin Skivington]