The 2kDozen 500: #308 - Toy, "Toy"

Prepared to be disappointed by this and when I heard their debut single a few months ago, I was excitedly imagining a clutch of shoegaze revival classics. And then I imagined that excitement dulling and falling flat. And that brought on waves of all kinds of regret and the kids of words that only French and German people have words for. But I venture in.

"Motoring" sounds like Sonic Youth with some extra eyeliner and a touch of Ride. "Dead & Gone" is a bit more mystical in its shoegaze momentum; it has some kraut motor thrub driving it onwards through a dark, twinkly nightscape. Touch of JAMC perhap. Bass growls get a bit lysergic again on "Drifting Deep", a touch of doom at the nugget. It twitches pleasingly, puts me in mind of Hawkwind. That can't be far from their intent. "My Heart Skips A Beat" has some lush sweep to bolster what might be some shaky lyrics.

Their hair is certainly gauche enough for them to pass convincingly as cosmic warriors of the Psychedelicon. The light shows don't do any harm either. I not seen such youthful bumfluff on a band since Duncan Black played the Rainbow theme tune on his Flying V (or whatever rawk guitar it was) during school Eisteddfod. But they don't quite stamp themselves on my brain in the same way that The Horrors have done in each of their incarnations. Early days for these yet, I suppose.

On balance: watchful but not disappointed.

Rating: Shoegaze out of Cosmic