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They've been through so many possibilities, but Clone Quartet have taken a wide tangent, back to the song, to the squelchy emotions, the fuzz and the fever. Sometimes we worried that they would never return home, that they'd be forever abstract or merely odd. But the adventures have been worth the chase because Clone Quartet have brought loads of savvy and style to their first album.

Thus, a tune like Need Your Love is all pained and uneasy. But the guitar lines are instantly attractive and the vocals work on many levels - like those wonderful old Cure and New Order records. You're not sure where the hurt ends and the irony begins, and you suspect that the author may not know either.

The synth lines are charmingly wonky and the piston whoosh of the drums sounds class. Sometimes the melody goes for a meander and in this respect you're reminded of the Pavement method. Twenty Five is the coolest example here.

It's a record to spend time with, to understand and to love those little peculiarities. Even so, the initial wallop of the title track is hard to argue with and the intro to Played To Death is a pesky bonus. All this and the best-dressed record sleeve in town. The Clones are unique.

Stuart Bailie

Clone Quartet
Well-Oiled Machine (Tiger Trap/Smalltown America)