On their debut, TPOBAH turned out a fine, if rather fey, jangle-rock sound reminiscent of early-’90s wash-poppers The Field Mice. The template is roughly the same on ‘Belong’, but the outcome couldn’t be much different, thanks in no small part to stadium-rock producers Alan Moulder and Flood who turbo-inject ‘Belong’ with a muscular urgency. Soaking wet drums hurtle over slowburning guitar thrash, while Kip Berman’s wisp of a voice just manages not to drown underneath it all. Not so much Teenage Fanclub as ‘Loveless’-era MBV meets classic Cure at their poppiest.
7/10
Words by CHARLIE FRAME
