It would be so easy to dismiss this that it would almost not be worth the bother. Japanese garage is a fucking appalling racket, the sound of weekending salarymen-in-training living out the fantasy of rebellion in retro-fetish costumes that cost almost as much as the Rickenbackers their mums bought them for their 20th birthday. Which, of course, is how it should be, and what a lot of fun it is, as anyone who was at December's "Garage Rockin' Craze 2003 Bonenkai" would testify (a review would already be gracing the pages of Clear And Refreshing if our correspondent had been sober enough to remember more than ten percent of what happened). The problem is that, also as anyone who attended said event will testify, most of these bands (apart from The 5,6,7,8's) suck shit.

The Neatbeats don't suck shit. They're retro beyond parody but they win through on sheer strength of conviction and the mesmerising attention to detail in their painstakingly recreated '60s beat pop. Six minute epic "Big Red Partner" is something of a leap forward for the band, sounding at least like it was recorded (only just) the right side of 1965. It's just a single meaningless phrase repeated ad infinitum over an unstoppably danceable beat with the same chord changes that Moses used to part the Red Sea and George Harrison's ghost polishing it off with a nifty guitar solo.

"Highway Slip" slips back to more familiar pre "Help!" era Beatles and has all the finely observed period details and deft musicianship that you need in order not to kick a hole in your stereo, "Sweet Little Rock And Roller" is a Chuck Berry cover as charming as it is unnecessary. Jet would turn away and blush if they could hear this, Noel Gallagher would shake his head and mutter "'s a bit fookin' much y'know" but as cheap thrills, the way granddad used to make them go, this is dead gear. -Ian Martin, Jan.22.04

Big Red Partner