Album: Aberfeldy

Do Whatever Turns You On, ROUGH TRADE

If you liked The Magic Numbers, you'll love Aberfeldy, an Edinburgh quintet who employ similarly cute boy/girl harmonies, with the twist that instead of guitars, most of these dozen ditties are led by the infectious organ figures of Ruth Barrie and Sarah McFadyen. The singer-songwriter Riley Briggs and his drummer brother Murray used to be in a Devo tribute band, and the influence lingers in the simple melodies and irresistible hooks of songs such as "Hypnotised" and "If - Then", as well as the cheesy Eighties tones of "Uptight". Besides these romance-related songs, Briggs deals with a range of other issues - disillusion ("Let Down"); talent and ambition pursued ("Never Give Up") and wasted ("Poetry"); a self-directed dig at anachronistic preferences ("The 1970s"); and the need to uphold one's individuality ("Whatever Turns You On"). Beneath the sugar-sweet tunes and harmonies, however, lurks a sardonic streak that stops the songs from curdling, as Briggs takes digs at trendies and the undeservingly successful. "We could take this town tonight," he sings at one point, "but I doubt it would be worth the fight."

DOWNLOAD THIS: 'If - Then', 'Hypnotised', 'There You Go', 'Uptight', 'The 1970s'