The Amsterdams - Automatic EP

By the Sound of the Automatic EP, Franz Ferdinand’s debut album has made its way to Romania where it’s been fully digested by Bucharest hipsters The Amsterdams. Which is all fine and dandy, they’re a band influenced by another band and so fly their colours accordingly. It’s therefore hard to point out anything else about them other than singer Andrei Hategan’s idiosyncratic and occasionally bizarre lyrics, best exemplified by their stated aim to “take the cars out of every garage band”. If you can work that one out, then the Ams (or is it the ‘Dams?) may be for you. Otherwise, smile politely and move along. [Darren Carle]