Album: Cults, Cults (Columbia)

Hip young American male/female duo Cults look to classic 1960s pop history for the 11 bite-sized pop nuggets of this impressive debut.

"Abducted" opens proceedings like a lo-fi Spector production, with heavily reverbed vocals driven along with punch by drums and organ, while the ambitious "Bumper" marries the duo's vocals to a piano groove accessorised with dub effects and distant "la-la-la" girl-group refrain. The lilting melody of "You Know What I Mean", meanwhile, confirms their subtler pop skills. "Go Outside" is the crucial cut, its pumping bass, glockenspiel and organ carrying a vocal that sounds like a Japanese girl-group doing an impression of The Crystals. Elsewhere, the incorporation of Oriental-flavoured hooks and melodies suggests that the Far East may figure highly in their marketing strategy.

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