Still Corners - Cuckoo

"The best new band in Britain right now". Not my words but the words of Phil Leigh, proprietor of the Norman Records empire. He may have some kind of a point from what I've heard so far. They certainly pursue a sound that is very 'now' - using the Broadcast template with old fashioned melancholic organ tones, drum machine, reverbed guitars and the type of breathy female vocals that seem to be used from everyone from Best Coast to Tennis and everything in between. Although the lead track 'Cuckoo' is fragile and slight, it creates a mysterious swirling air of sadness which leaves an aftertaste long after the last note has faded. The production is very much like Broadcast's 'Tender Buttons' with a tinny drum machine marking out time. I'm not the biggest fan of this type of production, sounding to me very much like a demo. Still, like the songs on 'Tender Buttons' the quality of the songwriting shines through. Turning over the record its as if they have been listening to my words as the production is much fuller with what is either real drums or a tarted up drum machine operating the age old Spector 'Be My Baby' backbeat. Just when you think its nice but inconsequential it launches into a much more fully realised chorus with Broadcast-like vocal hook and Silver Apples organ finishing with a noisy guitar flourish. I'd file it under 'promising' rather than 'knock-your-socks-off brilliant'. They could really do with getting a real drummer on board, then we might really see the magic start to happen.