大象传媒

Like dipping into a bag of lemon sherbet, Superfreakz debut album, Gettin Me Off, is an effervescent effort, not without bitterness, but a hugely enjoyable confection nonetheless. The Belfast-based four-piece strive to encompass a range of styles. Primarily, however, they can be found treading the electronica / rock divide with undisputed flair.

The hybrid howl of 'Down With You' lays out the Superfreakz blueprint, fizzing keys, electronically treated vocal, cyclical guitars, insistent rhythms and glorious harmonies. It is the midpoint on a spectrum that ranges from Kraftwerk to the Beach Boys, machine music with more than a little heart. Similarly, 'In Your Absence', 'Love Is Nothing' and title track, 'Gettin Me Off', bring the synthetic and the soulful into electro rock harmony. 'How Does It Feel' meanwhile is a more earnest rock number, its heartfelt sentiment and stylings recalling passion-mongers, Keane.

Only occasionally does Superfreakz' aim fail to match their ambition. The delicately plucked, flamenco style guitar of 'Almost' proves somewhat jarring, a Ricky Martin-esque ghost within Superfreakz streamlined machine. 'My Own Destruction', meanwhile, is too sedate by half. Never gaining momentum, it meanders meekly towards destination nowhere. Elsewhere they need to instill a little more poetry into their girl-gone-and-done-me-bad musings. Certain rhyming couplets are uninspired, or else words are employed in a plainly descriptive manner, not least on 'Count Score'.

To be fair, these are but temporary blips in what is, after all, a largely bleeptastic, thirteen track album. The delightfully souped-up 'Pretend' has them back, gleefully firing on all cylinders whilst final statement, 'Lies and Sins', proves utterly persuasive. An off-kilter contemplation of mortality and redemption, 'Lies and Sins' is an intriguing maelstrom of texture and tune that shows Superfreakz are more than willing to move beyond their electro-rock comfort zone and can do so without endangering the listeners ears. It's a tantalizing teaser of what might be, but, for now, 'Gettin Me Off' provides satisfaction aplenty.

Francis Jones