Newtonheath
Come Together And Unite
Independent

Matt Ho and Rachel Warburton's first effort since the demise of local act Edison Music has been a while in the making, but it's definitely been worth the wait: Newtonheath's debut album is a far-more developed and consistent affair than Edison's 'Last Year's Journal', and the hard work the band have put into developing these songs shines through every track to make 'Come Together And Unite' one of the best local releases of 2007.

It's got less of an emo influence than Ho and Warburton's previous work, and that certainly doesn't harm proceedings, as they manage to combine honest performances with a rock-and-roll energy that the band aren't ashamed to exploit. The opening, title track stomps away as a rollicking rock song, while Fixation rides Bloc Party-esque offbeat high-hats and uncomplicated, reverberating guitar work to carry an effective simplicity.

What's most impressive are the vocal melodies; while they could, at times, appear awkward amongst Edison's oeuvre, here they're carefully constructed and matched lyrically. Every song carries a brilliant hook, and Ho's insistence on stripping back the guitars to the bare essentials works wonderfully on tracks like Nothing To Compare and Where Are We Now, the latter layering up nicely for its chorus. For me, the highlights are tender The Covering, which fleshes out in wide, warm spaces that hint towards early Jimmy Eat World, and closer Cultivate, which develops from acoustic openings to some of the most vital rock moments of the disc. It could have benefited from some crunchier, more dynamic production, but 'Come Together And Unite' is mature, enjoyable and, best of all, very, very good.

Matt Vesely