This five piece camera shy band from London present ten song-shaped visions of life as a struggle against oppressive forces alongside libidinous dreams.
On their ambitious debut album there are elements of classic rock but no solos and nods towards the experimentation of post-rock but no studio trickery.
The influence of Radiohead is evident, especially on Contenders Ready which has a very In Rainbows groove.
Lyricist Dan McLachian often goes for the sound of words rather than meaning leaving you to guess what "a chequebook spark" on Bring Cold Home might mean or how the process of "debasing to embrace" on Were You Cold might be achieved.
There is nothing overtly political in the content but a satirical anti-Brexit video for Please Report Anything Auspicious To A Member Of Staff means that it's reasonable to assume that the "sentimental shipwreck of the land we used to be" is a veiled reference to the mess we're in.
Personally, I think the songs would be punchier without these bombastic layers and the straight talking on Extraordinary Blue is welcome. There's no mistaking the feelings behind the opening lines here: "Baby baby do you want get down with me and feel the earth move beneath your dirty feet".
The tone may be uneven but the group sound is powerful so, even though not everything comes off, there's enough to suggest that greater things lie in store. <