Black Kids are Hyped. They have not for a second in the last a year that I have known about them, not been Hyped. Even before they started getting radio play and stuff, the Hype label was applied to them like some sort of almighty icon of contention- a direct challenge to anyone and everyone who maybe just wanted to enjoy them frivolously- no, here was a band with an amazing demo. A really quite stunning quadrant of pop songs, and then all of a sudden they were Hyped. I genuinely cannot remember a single piece of press about them that does not refer to this Hype as if it was some arbitrary label cast upon them, forcing them to justify it with every single little step they took. Now its debut album time- sink or swim guys, you've received the privilege (read: albatross) of our Hype- now you'd better fucking justify it or we'll cast you out and laugh at you like we did at Gay Dad. Well, do they? EH?Well, in my opinion, yes they do. Black Kids are - terrible name and 'hype' aside - an almost unreasonably fantastic pop band, an uncompromisingly indie-pop-wet-dream melange of scratchy guitars, disco drum beats, girl-group backing vocals, clicking lo-fi drum machines, rushing 80s keyboards and angsty fey-boy lead vox (tempered by the inherent horniness of Rudy Youngblood's actual lyrics)- the ultimate hook-maximising combination of introverted bedroom whining and pure dancefloor sex.In interviews Black Kids have described their desire to produce a "classic" debut album. Whilst I would personally like to excuse myself from reading the verdict on whether or not they've produced a classic album right here, they certainly have produced a remarkably solid and catchy record beyond just the remarkably solid and catchy four tracks on their Wizard of Ahhhhs demo. What we have here is an album where 9/10 (including all of the ones off of that aforementioned demo) tracks ARE potential singles, which is pretty much the criteria for this sort of thing being astonishingly good, right? Like The Cars first album. Or whatever.But yeah. This record WILL be maligned by many. If only because of this semi-mythical Hype that seems to so unfortunately surround them. And, I guess if you really want to attract the haters, at least in the world of internet messageboards or whatever, then make a really good pop record. Well Black Kids have. And I like it - a lot. So deal with it. I put up with you liking Fleet Foxes, haha. I mean its not by any means perfect.Firstly it is, despite the mix of pop elements mentioned above, fairly obviously indebted to the 80s, particularly in terms of the songwriting style but also just generally the prominence of the synths and the high drama-in-an-80s-teen-movie-sort-of-way-ness of it all. This is not the future. Its just a very well-packaged summation of what we already have. Secondly, should-be-far-and-away-highlight 'I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' was messily, soaringly perfect as a demo. I seem to remember being driven by an almost fanatical desire to play it over and over again when I first heard it. That whole "You are the girl / That I've been dreaming of / Ever since I was a little girl" line and everything... but here Bernard Butler's production has sort of slowed it down a bit (I don't think this is actually true, I think more its just the comparative tameness of the vocals), and cropped some magical slice of what made it special out of it. But then again he's pretty much improved every single other thing on it, so who can really go after him?Um... what else?'I'll Be Your Limousine; is a bit rubbish, well in comparison, and one of my female housemates for the summer can't in any way stand closer 'Look At Me (While I Rock Witchoo)', especially the female backing vocal build and stuff at the end. Then again to my ears that song, and part of song, is like a key point when the album in general really hits, really smacks you in the face - its just immensely, poppily perfect. Like most of the rest of it, I guess. Or not perfect. Black Kids are a pop band. Completely, unashamedly so. Plus, Reggie Youngblood? He wants what's in your pants a LOT more than what's in your head. And you know none of this doesn't sort of rule. Just accept that fact and enjoy it. 83%Links Black Kids [official site] [myspace]