Methyl Ethel – Oh Inhuman Spectacle

Australian multi-instrumentalist Jake Webb explores a fascination with texture, arrangement and mood on his debut album. 4AD's patronage makes perfect sense: Webb's songs straddle the line between electro-pop and screwy psychedelia, and he'd find a welcoming crowd, you suspect, at both Reading and Creamfields. Even though Rogues, with its clean guitar lines that recall 80s alt-pop, and Twilight Driving (a hint of NZCA Lines) are not identikit dance-pop, they benefit from a feel and a groove that's smarter than your average indie kid tinkerer.

Hopefully, now that Webb has seen fit to expand Methyl Ethel into a touring three-piece, he'll be able to retain the clean lines on display here because when he really sets his vison free, it's hugely appealing: Depth Perception, in particular, is a woozy wonder. Ulltimately, Oh Inhuman Spectacle relies on its construction and craft at the expense of killer tunes, but it's never less than likeable.