They're impossibly young (all of them clocking in at a sickening 18) and yet somehow they appear to be more than adept at whipping all the best bits of New Wave and mixing it in with a dollop of 80s electronica. I mean we all love Franz Ferdinand and The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs (The Automatic's label mates, incidentally), but do we really need another band that sounds like they are probably wearing skinny ties and glasses?
Well, in the case of The Automatic there's probably room for one more. Recover is a heady blast of youth replete with taut guitars, seething synths and, of course, a chorus that will be sounding out across indie discos countrywide. Frontman Rob Hawkins has the kind of voice that sounds like it's always stretching to find the note, but he also appears to have a kind of fearlessness that only comes with youthful exuberance. It is his performance that lifts this single above the ordinary.
The Automatic's label B-Unique have an impressive history when it comes to spotting young talent, and on this showing it looks like they've picked up yet another promising young band.
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