Faded Seaside Glamour

Limited European pressing features original 12 tracks plus a DVD (PAL/Region ) with the videos for 'Nearer Than Heaven', 'Hey Girl' & 'Long Time Coming' along with an exclusive interview with the band and previously unreleased live tracks filmed for the New Kings Of Rock And Roll series. The four-piece Delays are the best thing to emerge from Southampton since Le God menaced opposition teams at the Dell. They produce the sound of the West Coast mixed with the epic atmospherics that only wind-swept winters on a British beach can evoke. Warped, yes, but a comforting treat nonetheless. 'Wanderlust' kicks things off with a calypso shuffle that signals this debut album's intent immediately. Two of the band's singles follow, both infectious blasts of summer guaranteed to have you yearning for August. 'Nearer Than Heaven' is a string-soaked nod to Britpop's prime, full of Byrdsian harmonies whilst 'Long Time Coming' is a U2-meets-Teenage Fanclub belter that had the NME proclaiming, 'this is just solid as fuck - a veritable rock of a record'. Elsewhere, we're treated to the jangle-pop classics 'Hey Girl' & 'One Night Away', whilst the 80s revival is plundered on the synth backdrop to 'Bedroom Scene' & the electro-rocking 'Stay Where You Are'. In between, Delays conjure up a lovely line in delicate balladry notably on the breathtaking 'No Ending' & the pretty 'Satellites Lost'. 'Faded Seaside Glamour' is a remarkable debut album. Recalling the mature majesty of prime Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys & the Byrds, this is harmony-driven brilliance that points to an illustrious future. Magical & mesmerizing Delays have been a long time coming but thank god they're here now. *Please note you will need an All Code DVD player to view. Rough Trade. 2005.

Delays singer-guitarist Greg Gilbert has such an incredible voice that he might be the only man in rock who has drawn comparisons to both Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. That's just the first sign that this English band is not just another standard-issue moody Coldplay knockoff. Instead, the music on its debut album conjures the blissed-out guitar-and-grooves sound of classic English groups like the Stone Roses and the La's, with each of the three opening songs delivering devastating knockouts. The rest of the disc doesn't easily repeat the feat but the band's exuberant spirit easily carries through. -- Aidin Vaziri