When a band or artist comes to prominence for being unorthodox and left-field, they are in some instances quickly dipped into a bucket of lime green paint and tarnished with the alternative brush for everyone to ogle for fifteen minutes. However, Yeah OK by Belfast trio Not Squares is a debut ten track effort which channels the experimental streak via techno, electro and rock. Following on from their first appearances on the festival circuit at Latitude, Reading and Leeds this summer, the group have offered an album with much promise and invention from their earlier discography.

Released on the 29th November on Richter Collective, Yeah OK is the culmination of an arduous but exciting journey for a band who formed three years ago following an intoxicated conversation about the scarcity of merrymaking bands in the Old Smoke scene. The album begins with the triumvirate’s last single ‘Release The Bees’ , which merges customary instruments with electronic reverberation in stop start fashion to add depth toward the seven minute long melody.

On ‘In Front’, the snarling arpeggio synth and rhythmic drumming in tandem with a cowbell cameo makes for a fast paced 8 bit sample which would be apt for a futuristic game soundtrack. Whilst, ‘Smith & Carlos’ is one of the few slower paced songs on the LP with the instructional yelp of “I lift my fist into the air / you raise your fist show that you care “ calling on fans to show appreciation in a deliberate interlude from their usual act as pacemakers. ‘Nothing’ is uncomplicated and bare with its endearing simplicity. The handclaps alongside the customary cowbell, guitar riff and echoey vocal is comparable to an early James Murphy finally becoming familiar with his sound system.

Their most popular hit ‘Asylum’ is still buoyant as ever with a riff driven bassline and a furious, yet thumping drum pattern reminiscent of early Foals on ‘Balloons’. Lead singer Michael Kinloch’s eternal refrain of “I wanna live in an asylum” is enough to make the most statuesque rudeboy skank out and be intrigued with what occurs in the Northern Ireland native’s sanctuary. However, ‘Yeah!’ and ‘Ojos Para Volar’ feel more like album fillers lacking the same energy and verve as the earlier section of the LP. Final track ‘53’ encapsulates Not Squares in a nutshell with the shifting tempos of synthesizer, guitar and drum producing a mish-mashed sound that grounds down to Earth with a shuddering halt.

Overall, it’s highly likely Yeah OK will not receive critical acclaim like some of its influencers. The band’s name is a testament to their musical and methodical approach in being anything but generic. Yet, what will captivate the carefree aficionado is their attempt to make dance music (via the unsung hero of the cowbell) and cause fans to throw distinct shapes like a rhombus in the d.i.s.c.o.