Album Review: 2:54 - 2:54

Over the course of the ten tracks, 2:54's debut album evolves as a melting pot of music genres from decades past. The first delicate guitar chords in opener Revolving suggests a throwback to The Smiths era of alternative post-punk, whilst the throbbing bassline and distorted guitars on Sugar seem to echo some of the musical sensibilities of My Bloody Valentine and other early '90s shoegaze bands.

If that wasn't enough, Colette Thurlow's haunting vocals seem to be located in a different area of the musical past, with songs like You're Early echoing the likes of Shirley Manson, Dolores O'Riordan and the queen of '90s alternative rock, PJ Harvey. Indeed, Thurlow's vocals are one of the most interesting and effective aspects of the album. Her ability to control the expression and emotion within her voice creates the perfect balance to the band's stirring yet careful lyrics.

Colette's ability to control her voice and her lyrics stems from the clever use of drumbeats throughout the album as a controlling point for all other elements of the songs. The only negative aspect of this control is the lack of variation from song to song. The 4/4 beat that is used to unite most tracks also blurs them together. There isn't a huge amount of highs and lows within the album, which can become frustrating.

2:54 have decided to delve back into the past, borrowing different musical elements from an array of alternative sub-movements. The result is an album full of misplaced nostalgia, the different styles making it difficult to position our wistfulness into one specific time or movement. This can come across as interesting or infuriating depending on the person, but kudos to them for trying to adapt and integrate these different styles together.