It’s a rare privilege to closely follow the progression of a band throughout the course of their development. So often you only have the final, polished product thrust upon you, which gives no indication of the journey the band have made to reach their destination. Tracking the evolution of Clone Quartet from their early beginnings through to the delivery of a fully formed and realised long player isn’t necessary to appreciate what is a truly excellent album, but it does give a rewarding insight into how far they have come. Through a steady development in style and finesse they have bolted their own unique, quirky sonic character onto an art-rock, disco-punk framework to produce something exhilaratingly fresh and original.

Clone Quartet meld the worlds of electronica and indie music in a way that is much smarter and more astute than the glaringly obvious tactics employed by many of the new bands who claim to joining these two styles. Where Klaxons need to throw in an old skool rave horn to force their reference down your throat, CQ take a much more subtle and refined tact. They absorb their influences and rearrange the DNA to produce altered, improved forms. The results range from the mutated disco of ‘Need Your Love’ to the almost grunge-tinged ‘Played To Death’, plus a broad smattering of all kinds of brilliance in-between.

Songs that have appeared on past outings all feel enhanced on this record, with production nuances giving them a new lift, and the short, sharp sugar rush of ‘Carousel’ still sounding as vibrant and urgent as when it was first dropped. With a healthy appetite for experimentation Clone Quartet explore different spaces on the new material on the album, and there is just the right amount of distance travelled without anything coming across as disparate or out of place. There are plenty of clever touches to keep your interest piqued, and it stays on the right side of smart-arse throughout.

Clocking in at a remarkably specific 40 minutes ‘Well-Oiled Machine’ feels like it has had all the fat trimmed off it time and again, with not a jot of filler material left in sight. The prospect of outstaying its welcome is never entertained. In the end you feel fed but not fattened, and there is always room for one more listen. A perfect debut. Jonny Tiernan

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DOWNLOAD: ‘Carousel’, ‘Hold On’, ‘Well-Oiled Machine’
FOR FANS OF: The Robocop Kraus, Klaxons, Foals.