LIGHTSHIPS
ELECTRIC CABLES
Brian Eno’s line about everyone who bought a copy of the first Velvet Underground record starting a band themselves looks better and better as the years roll on. This is straight up Velvet Underground worship from members of Scotland’s Teenage Fanclub and Belle and Sebastian, with a bit of Luna (also awash in Velvet Underground) and Elliott Smith-style vocals thrown in for good measure. There’s nothing wrong with this kind of overt hero worship, and there are certainly worse acts to crib from. The problem comes down to the fact that it’s not a terribly memorable riff on the basic sound. The guitars slink and wiggle along, constantly moving but showing a defiant unwillingness to stick in the head. The vocals don’t help, with double tracked harmonies that get the job done but never resolve into memorable hooks. It’s fine, but it never jumps above that baseline level of competent execution. If you love Luna and Television but for some reason you’re sick of listening to them, this is worth checking out. (Domino) by Aaron van Dorn