Last year there were a lot of people drawing comparisons between New York dance revival and the late 80s Madchester scene and a lot of people making kind of "pshooeee" noises and rolling their eyes at the first lot of people. This, however, does sound a lot like some kind of turn-of-the-nineties indie dance band. Much looser and untidier than obvious reference points like The Rapture, but sounding like they're having much more fun.

That said, it's not going to blow anyone's mind with its extraordinary, groundbreaking tunesmithery; nor is it going to cause a revolution in gargantuan flares and funny little fishing hats; and there's not much here, aside from a nice bit of gratuitous swearing on "Pardon My Freedom" and "Shit Scheisse Merde (Parts 1 & 2)", to compete with the barking-mad, barking-seal, tone deaf genius-nonsense of Shaun Ryder in the lyrics department. The main thing it's got going for it is the grooves. Stick it on at a party and people will dance. They won't be able to stop themselves. Add the fact that it's impossible not to love a band that has a song called "Dear Can" to the fact that they already have a bona-fide dancefloor hit in "Me And Giuliani Down At The Schoolyard (A True Story)" and you have all the makings of our very own generation's answer to The Soupdragons. -Ian Martin, July.05.04

Louden Up Now