The Ribbon Device
Saturation Day
Nincompoop

It's really not possible to review the debut CD from Melbourne's The Ribbon Device without mentioning one thing: the band features Clinton 'BŠr' McKinnon of Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3 fame. But don't go into 'Saturation Day' expecting the next 'Disco Volante' - the band is the brainchild of McKinnon's half-brother; singer, songwriter and guitarist Mat Creedon, whose influences are far more pop than prog.

That's not to say that the album doesn't have its share of inventive and interesting moments, though. The backwards vocal and bent guitar of opener and first single '80s Trash are a joy, as is the breathy These Things and, at their best, The Ribbon Device show themselves to be a dazzling blend of Pavement's twisted pop sensibilities with Beck's swagger. Creedon also proves a deft hand with melody, with Paper Cranes and Something Inside, two of the album's slower tracks, being particularly good examples.

The album's highlight comes right at the end, though, with the organ-driven Young And Beautiful, which sums up the band's sound perfectly - it's endless summer, but more Australian twilight barbeque than The Beach Boys.

Things fall flat on a few occasions, however. The garage pop of It's The Season feels half-baked and underdeveloped next to the album's fuller-sounding songs and the directionless Determination is let down by some unexpectedly weak vocals. It's not the most exceptional album you'll hear all year, but 'Saturation Day' is so effortlessly fun and works so well as a whole that it's easy to look past it. More importantly, though, the band function so well as a whole that it seems a pity that The Ribbon Device is always going to be 'BŠr McKinnon's new band'.

Alistair Wallis