To get straight to the core of the matter: sodding everything else, the debut album from Welsh wonders The Automatic is worth buying for the single ‘Recover’ alone, possibly the best indie dancefloor anthem since ‘Song 2’ by Blur shattered eardrums everywhere, with its intensity, melody and energy being the antithesis to the nonchalant Arctic Monkeys types. Nope, The Automatic are most definitely chalant, and that spills over to the rest of the album.
Which is where it becomes messy.
As expected from people with the ability to write such a song, the quintet are all about the quality, from the instant catchiness of ‘Seriously… I Hate You Guys’ to the closer of the album and their explosive live shows ‘Rats’. Crunchy guitars, staccato rhythms and melodies sweetly sung by indie’s newest pin-up, Rob Hawkins, put them firmly in the category of Kasier Chiefs or The Kooks, but with more attitude and less thought. It’s little wonder their current single ‘Monster’ is riding high in the charts, which is where their debut no doubt belongs.
The messy part is the screamy background vocal style of keyboardist, Pennie. In small doses, his is the trademark of the band, the sound which easily idenfities the makers of the song and gives them an edgy, nihilistic feel. But when every single track is generously smeared with him echoing Rob’s lines (“Lets! Go! See! Raoul!”), dear god does it grate. Much in the same way that it would if you were in the middle of an enjoyable conversation where the attention-grabber would repeat a point that’s just been made, but just that bit louder.
But before this musical equivalent of a nervous tick turns you off too much, just remember one word: ‘Recover’.