It's a funny thing that those who try to innovate tend to date the quickest. With their anarchic genre-shredding and futureproof technology hi-jacks. Or at least an acquaintance with a drum sequencer. Look at Pop Will Eat Itself now - cute, huh? Even The Music's recent bid to make indie music surge and groove turned out misguided in two deflated dimensions. But with Manchester's musical electrode addicts The Longcut things feel different, we sense an untamed live wire. Which isn't to say they'll be immune to remaining locked up in 2006, just that there's more visceral beat mining here than you can shake an excited Peter Hook at, and that's not so easy to write off or tie down. They're essentially The Music, but with materials beyond a mere blueprint. From a goggle-eyed Hacienda loving pace to the searing near-toneless expression of The Rapture's liberal funk, the heightened blazing drone of Sonic Youth, the sterility of New Order and a post-rock knack for arranging opposing aspects and rocketing toward a climax, they are loaded to extremes, immaculately. They are Come On Die Young dancing, and with an album that can handle the association.
"The Kiss Off" is a delightful melding of the Beta Band's low altitude trundling, the KLF's sense of awe and a finale touchpaper lit under Thurston Moore. "Lonesome No More!" is first album Stone Roses interfacing with Mogwai and worthy of its exclamation mark. And if it is genuine innovation that dates a record, you've probably got about a fortnight to get this while it's hot.--James Berry
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