The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes

Well anyone who likes 80's music, and specifically the likes of New Order, The Cure and The Smiths (or even A-Ha) will be intrigued by what they find on Sweeden's The Mary Onettes album, but they might not necessarily be entranced by it.

There's nothing wrong with wearing your influences on your sleeve but over the course of this debut album you might find yourself wishing that they'd taken the care to marry them to some substantial chops of their own.

There are times when the approach works; the one truly outstanding track, Lost, is a case in point. Just when you think it can't soar any higher, it leaves that assessment trailing in the dust with,

Sadly it's not a trick they can pull off again, at least on this collection. There are other diverting moments, but often your only thought it what New Order song they're sounding like for this three minutes (the most blatant example of this being Slow).

It's a decent effort, but has little to make you come back for repeated listens. Nothing is really an out and out stinker, but precious little of it sails to the stars.