It’s long been pointed out that White Lies simply added epic sing-along choruses to Joy Division’s melancholy and Editors fused dance floor accessibility with Interpol’s gloomy splendour.
But banality doesn’t necessarily breed failure. Screaming Lights know this. And although ‘Like Angels’ contains nods to all of the above, its taut drumming and anxious guitar lines have a lean indie-pop sensibility that ensures they won’t be without their own fanbase.
The broody likes of ‘Volts’, ‘Rainmaker’ and ‘Exit Wound’ are derivative as hell, so much so it’s almost insulting, but their spiky infectiousness combined with James Treadell’s angst-soaked vocals should ensure that the band aren’t dismissed as mere indie-landfill-fodder… just yet.
6/10
Words by Dannii Leivers
