If you're going on the facts - Favours For Sailors have supported Dananananaykroyd, their biography namechecks Pavement, Gang Of Four and Television and this six-track mini-album was recorded with Rory from Test-Icicles - then Furious Sons might just disappoint you. There is a Pavement influence, but it more stems from the relatively straighter last two albums and the first couple of Stephen Malkmus records. A more accurate comparative point would be the classic American power-pop of The Cars, the Raspberries and the Rubinoos, as later updated for the post-slacker era by Weezer.It's all there right from the opener 'Erode My Empire', which briefly threatens to go somewhere extremely ragged before settling into its groove - pin-sharp guitar hooks straight from 70's FM modern rock radio, dreamy yet strident lead vocals, power chords, cooed backing vocals, harmonic guitar solo, choogling outro. 'No Room At The Buffet' sounds like the Wombats gone right, while 'I Dreamt That You Dreamt That You Loved Me in Your Dreams' introduces Malkmus circa Face The Truth to one time Beatles natural successors Badfinger.All of which presents a problem. There's a few emerging British bands who take power-pop as a starting point, but eventually you remember that in its pure form power pop's drawback was always that, as much as it'd sound great cruising in a convertible at the height of summer, in terms of melodic invention and structural deconstruction it nearly makes Oi! punk sound unpredictable. 'Shy Times' at least shows the band have the capacity to develop out of this verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/chorus potential trap. Bubbling away with complex, intricate guitars a la Q And Not U or Minus The Bear and sounding like Les Savy Fav having a restful afternoon, allowing the rhythm section to double back and collide with itself in aid of a bridge. Closer 'Our Name' playfully recalls Modest Mouse via a fun sized Cheap Trick. It doesn't all convince yet, but more willingness to take the power-pop conventions and stretch them to their outer limits without necessarily compromising their radio readiness and when they get round to a full length album Favours For Sailors could really be heading somewhere fascinating. 68%Favours For Sailors on Myspace