Swedish four-piece the Mary Onettes have captured that '80s new wave alternative rock sound by replicating the moody elements of the Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen with bass lines borrowed from the upper echelon of great New Order records. The vocalist however, sings in a thin range more like Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) than the Gothy Robert Smith with a formula that is oddly contemporary yet retro. Even the cd's only ballad "Laughter" could have been an addition to any John Hughes' teen flick circa 1986. While many of today's glam-rock bands (Killers, the Sounds, Modest Mouse) mimic the pioneers of new wave rock - often to be cute, the Mary Onettes do it without a smile on their face, as introspectively suppressed as those they pay tribute to. Highly recommended.

The Mary Onettes sound like the Indie 80s all over again, sprinkling bits of Echo & the Bunnymen, The Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order, The Church...you name it. But none of it's really derivative. It's just unabashedly great pop music! They're not trying to save the world...just trying to give us some great fun music with fantastic melodies and rhythms. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who enjoyed those bands of yore or their modern successors like British Sea Power or Metric. It's sweet packaging as well, with the insert being a flat matt black frame which is actually cut out to the high-gloss photo below. Very nice!