Signal vinyl

No matter how hard they try, some bands struggle to make people dislike them. Take Los Angeles trio, Automatic. Sure, militant guitar fans might find a little to complain about, what with the distinct focus on synthdom here, but realistically that's like saying you hate pies because sandwiches also exist. There's more than a touch of Neu! and Suicide in this indie-post punk mix up, but we wouldn't want anyone to think they'd heard this before. Unless, of course, you actually have heard this lot before. Working within sounds that often feel explored to the nth degree, we're dealing with a band disinterested in convention but obsessed with making you feel immediately at home with them. From the rolling bass, distorted electro refrains and send-return vocals of "Too Much Money" through "Highway'"'s darkroom neo-dance bounce, to the slo-mo, anthemic closer "Strange Conversations", this debut album stands out for miles.