This will come as no great surprise, but being objective is impossible. Unless of course you are a calculator, and even then I have my doubts. Take this, the review of Lucky Elephant’s Star Sign Trampoline. I’d only moments earlier finished another album dissection, and was less than thrilled by it. The album that is. I badly wanted just something to come out of speakers at me, and not go straight through me.It did, with the jingle jangle of this band’s title track, an effort just north of the 3 minute mark. Lovely stuff it was too, with all sorts of tasteful variations on a very simple theme. But this could’ve been just about anything at this stage, and I would have lapped it up. Especially considering how new bands always (and understandably) shove what they consider to be their best material upfront.This is what I had assumed was going on; my brain was merely appeasing itself after having to listen to something it really rather wouldn't. Even as the hook laden 'Edgar' rolled into view, I was still in this mindset. Somewhere around 'The Pier' however, most likely its chorus, and particularly once 'Modern Life, Changing People' was in full flow, I was starting to sit up and actually listen.If a band is doing that to you, particularly when you ‘aren’t in the mood’, you know they are doing something right. As it turns out, Lucky Elephant have cut a pretty fine first record. It’s simply a really pleasing sound on the ears they manage to achieve on many of the tracks on show here.'The Pier' is simple but the mix is bang on, with a healthy bass presence and superb (also consistent) earthy drum sound; the sort you thought had died years ago, murdered by compression. This all just lifts the instrumentation up a couple of notches, and gives it character. Coupled with this and a simple but very catchy chorus hook, complete with essential mumbo jumbo lyrics (“If you lose, don’t lose the lesson”), and you have an album highlight.The following two tracks, and the band really sound like they are hitting their stride. 'Modern Life, Changing People' features a pre chorus and chorus with lilting guitars that jump out of the mix and genuinely surprise you. And it’s a surprise that’s perfectly welcome. This is very much the success story of Star Sign Trampoline, the near mastery of the right change at the right time. Â 'Red Ties Vs The Bees' makes a number of these switches, and none feel forced at all.Arguably the next thing that lifts the CD to a bright standard is the deliberate switch down into a sedate, reflective second half. Particularly after 'Reverend Tilsley', where the mood is very much of a band enjoying itself, it switches tack with the help of two instrumentals, into brooding, soulful passages. The fact the penultimate track is called 'Neptune' reflects this isolation from the first half; but its theme is anything but reminiscent of the big blue planet, with a mediterranean guitar line being struck out, the melody winding around itself.It holds your interest throughout, and though there are less than exciting moments (the first half of “The Beginning” is nothing special), there is excellent instrumentation throughout; the clarity, tone and execution are all there. In amongst it all, you’ll hear organs, glockenspiels and accordions and enjoy every second of their arrival. It is of course, “Edgar” that will get stuck in everyones heads, but all in all, this is a very good attempt at a first record. 82%Lucky Elephant on Myspace