Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

Late of the Pier are a band whose debut album comes with some expectation. Having made a name for themselves with a string of singles and a reputation for appearances at the relatively new phenomenon of special under-18 gigs, Fantasy Black Channel has promises to deliver on. The band's success up to this point also means, of course, that a few of the songs on this album have been heard before, albeit not necessarily in quite the form in which they appear here.With a stylish, modern electro-rock sound that has seen them frequently compared to so called "nu-rave" poster boys Klaxons, Late of the Pier are essentially an electronica act. Many of the songs here, like 'Space and the Woods', 'The Bears Are Coming' and 'Heartbeat' are built around heavy use of synthesizers, irregular chopped-up beats and seemingly random sound effects. Usually, this dependence on synths aids the bands sound, but when they get particularly self-indulgent, as on the dull instrumental intro 'Hot Tent Blues' and the closing section of 'Broken', their electronic show-boating can be frustrating and detrimental to the album's pace and coherence.Interestingly though, there are other styles in evidence besides the frequent expeditions into very-80s inspired synth-rock. 'The Bears Are Coming' descends at one point into a sequence of effects that sound as though they come from an early 90s arcade game, and 'Whitesnake' is reminiscent of 70s rock in parts, with its cyclic guitar riff and galloping pace.Fantasy Black Channel is mostly full of these fast-paced, frenetic stormers. They tend to be brief, irregular in terms of style, and full of often intriguing lyrics sung by the energetic Sam Eastgate. The only real detours are the more atmospheric 'VW' and the slightly surreal six-minute epic (by Late of the Pier standards) 'The Enemy Are the Future', which is something of a late highlight.Even if the Klaxons comparisons aren't wholly fair, Late of the Pier do conjure up the synthetic cool of that band just as successfully. They're not as anthemic, relying more on instrumental prowess more than rousing choruses most of the time. The trouble is that for all its bombast and spectacle, Fantasy Black Channel is a bit clumsy in places. The start is very poor, and the voyages into sampler pretentiousness frequently grate. Ultimately, this is a pretty solid album, if a slightly samey, retro one ”“ Late of the Pier have set out their stall more thoroughly than before, and they look set to stay. 59%Links Late of the Pier [official site] [myspace]