Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Every once in a while, a band comes along that is so inventive and characteristic that it acts as a palate cleanser to the glut of homogenous chart fodder currently on the market and one such group is Explode The TV. Now a trio, the London-based outfit have capitalised on the loss of guitarist David Guzman with a sound that is now underpinned by the stunning multi-faceted bass work of Andi Skipsey and the thundering drums of Chris Witherall to produce an album that is delightfully rooted in the style of yesteryear groups like the Stone Roses, Kula Shaker and Pulp. In fact, lead vocalist Bentley Browning is very much in the Ian Brown/Jarvis Cocker vein of frontmen when it comes to delivery and, together with some intriguingly cryptic lyricism and the driving force of his aforementioned bandmates, the pathos and passion of his performance helps make every track on this exhilarating release stand out. Whilst references to the Christian faith are for the most part well-hidden under a veil of multivalent lyrics, the opener "I Will Not Live A Lie" does see the band vehemently set out their stall in terms of not conforming to the world's standards whilst the fuzz bass-laden "Power" and the single "Youth" pass social comment with a subtle Christian undercurrent. The band's collective power and resourcefulness aside, this release really belongs to Andi Skipsey and his bass wizardry. Worth checking out on those grounds alone.

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