Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams

Can there be too much of a good thing? Discuss. Well, in the case of Throw Me the Statue, yes. The opener, Young Sensualists, is a tender, almost Sufjan-esque ballad done with Bontempi percussion and plucked nylon-stringed guitars. This is followed by a jaunty Flaming Lips-styled number, and the album continues in this more than listenable fashion, also hinting at Pavement and Grandaddy along the way. And it goes on. And on. And on. Fifteen tracks in all. It's when you're halfway through that you may appreciate there's something to be said for brevity. By the end, it's easy enough to recall the first few numbers, and then it gets a bit hazy as clusters of songs begin to meld into one another, with some shimmering noises, plenty of strummed guitar and a rather plaintive fella singing. With another couple of tracks, Throw Me the Statue could have had two very passable records, but right now, it's just a vaguely pleasant slog. [Matt Gollock]