It’s a relief to know indie rock is still capable of throwing up heartfelt shy boys such as The Pigeon Detectives. In a scene presided over by swaggering northern chappies (Kaiser Chiefs) and surly prodigies (Arctic Monkeys), this scouse five-piece heft a beacon for bedsit miserablism.
On their debut album, frontman Matt Bowman counts the ways in which he’s been short-changed by love. On ‘I Found Out’ he discovers that his daydream girl is stepping out with a better-looking bloke; ‘Take Her Back’ pokes over the ashes of a ruinous fling between an older man and a younger woman.
Throughout, the Pigeon Detectives deal in sweet, shimmering tempos: guitars jangle breathlessly, melodies swish and flutter. Lovely, and immensely huggable.