Album Review: 2:54

London indie rock band 2:54 have been gaining a lot of attention following the release of their latest self-titled album. It is clear why, with the consistently tight offering delivering treats throughout (it also has to be said that the shortest song actually clocks in at 3:23).

Opener Revolving has a growing feeling, as guitars and drums drive the beat under vocalist Colette Thurlow's familiar yet unique-sounding, slightly lower register, reverb-drenched vocal performance. Following on from there, You're Early has a Warpaint-type feel to it, and feels it would go down a treat at a festival with fog machines blazing.

A Salute has sore thumb positivity about it musically, differing from the tone favoured earlier in the album. The whole collection feels as if it is working to a My Bloody Valentine crescendo, or during the rockier numbers a Yo La Tengo peak in all of the tracks, which unfortunately never comes. Tracks like Watcher, Circuitry and the whammy bar-led closer Creeping are obvious offenders in this regard. However, it still feels okay as is.

Overall, the feel of 2:54 recalls moments of The Cure musically, with a kind of an all-round PJ Harvey and Sleater-Kinney (with reverb replacement over lo-fi) feel thrown into the mix. Naturally, with current trends in indie music, the band do introduce a number of modern day alternative elements, culminating in a new fresh-faced sound which doesn't sound too pedestrian or familiar. Nonetheless, the band have succeeded in producing an album that is a great and solid listen.