The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love

The pop culture history books (or BBC3's I Love the Naughties, whichever comes first) will record 2009 as the year of electro-pop and the urbanisation of British pop (or the de-urbanisation of UK hip hop - however you want to see it), but there was a third, though somewhat ignored, trend detectable in this year's releases - the shoegazing revival, or nu-gaze, spearheaded by the return of Hogwart head boys gone bad The Horrors and the debut of London's The Big Pink.

Appropriately signed to 4AD, home of shoegazing god-parents Cocteau Twins, duo Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell nailed the formula on their debut - the guitars are never less than monumental, alternately churning like cement mixers or buzzing like a swarm of angry bastard hornets. The vocals are a lovelorn wail in the maelstrom, while the specter of Spector hangs over proceedings like a badly wigged Marley's ghost.

But what pushes The Big Pink above the ranks of mere imitators is their willingness to experiment with the electro sheen evident on tracks such as 'Golden Pendulum' and 'Frisk'. These songs are alive with a the pulse of 21st century hipster London and, together with anthemic breakthrough single 'Dominos', they let you know that The Big Pink aren't just here for a nice spot of vintage moping - they're here to get the party started.

Best tracks: 'Velvet', 'Golden Pendulum', 'Dominos'

Richard Morris