Cast of Cheers - Family
- by Lawrence Poole Release Date: Label: Rough Trade
DARN those pesky indie scamps and their alluringly quirky monikers.
The moment I spotted the name 'Cast of Cheers' in a gig guide earlier this year there was no denying I was intrigued - as surely any child of the '80s who plonked themselves in front of the goggle box every Friday night to catch up with the latest goings on in the Boston-set TV bar was too.
Sadly, the Dublin quartet's debut offering 'Family' does not live up the smile-inducing moniker.
In fact, a couple of pulsating highlights aside, it's all a bit of a damp squib to fair.
Tagging themselves as 'Robot Rock' on their Facebook profile, there is no doubt the four-piece have a penchant for angular, edgy, throbbing rock - sadly though they don't bring anything particularly fresh or new to the table.
In fact if math-rockers Foals were to pen a bunch of B-sides in their sleep for a hastily compiled release, you would imagine it might sound something like this.
The title-track bristles with energy, but doesn't go anywhere while Human Elevator has nice splashes of glam-rock, but again, is too one-paced.
Palace And Run does have more of an impact, steadily building to an emotive crescendo and Go Getter also has real live promise.
But Goose is Bloc Party-lite while They Call It A Race may bounce along at a tidy pace but it leaves no lasting impression.
It's a shame, but the Rough Trade signees don't really have anything in the locker to get me or even 'Norm' off our seats.