Fine fascination

If you’re the sort of person who actually bought into the hype about the second Arcade Fire record – when the rest of us were nodding off circa the kindergarten Springsteen-isms of ‘My Body Is A Cage’ – then you’ll get multiple kicks from these British/New Zealand/US craw-beaters. Tipped by this magazine as ones to watch in 09, Red Light Company take the patented AC formula of ‘dude, we’re-all-in-this-together’ cornball, chuggging banjos and ragged harmonies and weave it around airy indie-disco froth. This isn’t a criticism, merely a warning – anyone expecting actual profundity from a quintet who, when not being hailed heirs to Win Butler’s Amish-pop, flaunt a debt to Editors and even Coldplay (with a hint of Placebo’s Brian Molko in Richard Frenneaux’s vocals), is probably going to be underwhelmed. Still, there’s lots here to smile about: the folksy choral throb of ‘Scheme Eugene’ walks the circuitous path between uplifting and bombastic; ‘Arts And Crafts’ is a tribute to Broken Social Scene in the style of... well, Broken Social Scene. Red Light Company are still too in thrall to their influences to have a real sense of who they are – but watching them muddle through their identity crisis is equal parts fascinating and beguiling.

Key Track: 'Arts and Crafts'