Miaoux Miaoux - Light of the North (CD, Vinyl LP)

The problem with The Postal Service ‘Give Up’ album is that so many people have tried to ape its melancholic synth pop sound. The opener here sounds so much like it that it negates the  need to pine for a follow up. Its good though, a catchy little slice of pop with ace power chorus with some nice jangly guitar and falsetto vocals. After six tracks had gone by no-one in this office had noticed that I’d taken off the Hot Chip record and put this on. So there’s another comparison  - it has the same blend of glacial synths and everyday Joe vocals (though a lot less irritating and more melodic than Poindexter).

So their influences are easy to see but at the end of the day it all harks back to the Pet Shop Boys anyway and its the songs that matter and on second run through they do seem suprisingly strong on this release ‘Hey Sound’ could even be a dancefloor filler  - its hard repetitive groove is in polarity to the more tuneful cuts either side. ‘Better For Now’ is one of those tunes instantly familiar, somewhere between Passion Pit and a electronified Keane. Should be all over the radio this. Actually is it? I dunno. But its very radio friendly  - maybe a little bit too much for some but who cares. I’d be happy for this track to be pick of the pops.

Elsewhere they are unafraid of an instrumental, ‘Cloud Computer’ is a lovely early Depeche Mode like instrumental with gorgeous jangly guitar though ‘Is It a Dream’ is ‘You’ve Got the Love’ aiming faux soul and probably should have been put down at birth but otherwise there’s plenty here to enjoy.