
From the opening, mournful trumpet solo of the portentously-titled 'She Was Loaded In An Everyday Kind Of Way', it is patently clear that Delicate AWOL aren't here to provide life's more cheerful moments. Indeed, the debut album from this London five-piece deals with the kind of miserablist jazz-inflected post-punk image that Hood have turned into a fine art on their last few albums. Delicate AWOL, however, seem to think their main asset is their instrumentals. How else could one explain the inclusion of a live 10-minute version of the terminably dull 'Carmoon'? If truth be told, they have far better trump cards, most notably their vocalist Caroline Ross whose voice makes the dextrous guitar playing sound much more focused, best evidenced on 'Further Afield' where the combination reaches an intense and riveting peak. Even though the guitar playing is inventive enough to stand up in its own right on other tracks, Ross certainly elevates the songs to the next level. This is not a complete work and the group will undoubtedly improve but compared to Hood's earlier singles this is a very promising debut.