This City Holds Us All E.P. - The Situationists (Tough Love Records)

You’d think being called The Situationists would require a band to at least live up a little to the spirit of Debord – throw in a little discombobulating mischief, at least line their CD sleeves with glass-paper or something. But no this is the usual stuff; angular guitars, frantic vocals, young people being fake-earnest, pretending to be inspired by early-‘80s fractured pop, blah blah, Futureheads blah blah. Jolly enough popstuff for the kids, but not half as much fun as The Gandalf The Grey album I’ve just downloaded – the man’s wearing a cape and a pointy hat and singing about being bohemian in Greenwich Village through a Tolkien-ian filter. Ho, yes, ridiculous. Who’s the real Situationist here?*

(*Clue: Guy Debord, obviously, even if he is dead)