This six-track debut from New Amusement is ridiculously hooky stuff for a band who’ve existed for barely a wet week. This is probably a weird comparison but songs like ‘Gone To Sea’ and ‘Lights Go Down’ sound kind of like Hot Chip if someone hid their synthesisers. And some of the vocal-stylings sound a bit like the conversational, deadpan musings of Bernard Sumner from New Order. Furthermore, the guitar lines sound like the work of a frustrated keyboard player. Then on the final track ‘When We’re Leaving’ they finally let rip with a prominent synth line, suggesting that overall narrative arc of this record is one man’s quest for a keyboard.
Anyway, the scuzzy production values appeal to me personally (I hate polish, grrr), but it would be interesting to see them with the kind of full-blown pop production leveraged by lesser bands. They could actually be a hit. So I don’t know. Give them money maybe? Buy the record? I usually dislike young talented bands on principle, but there’s no filler here, so it gets 4/5. I have no other option. Sigh.

Key Track: ‘Gone to Sea’