There’s a real sense of ambitions being achieved on this impressive debut. Tony Auton gives a clue as to what’s going on when he says, “We wanted to ADD to all our favorite music, to be inspired but not copy. It’s a proper album, with ebbs and flows.” The influences are certainly on view throughout, but they are myriad and catholic, from T-Rex (“It’s A Strange Thing”) to Devo (“The Devil In Me”), with lots of eighties electronica along the way. This could easily have led to something incoherent, but, with the help of a glorious production job by Mercury-nominated Rich Tamblyn, it hangs together in a highly listenable way. David Auton, who wrote all the songs, is a seriously talented person who has waited a while for the opportunity to demonstrate his talents and he sure as hell isn’t going to waste the chance. Autons describe themselves as “electro punk/glam/rock’n’roll,” and this selection of interests is best illustrated in their first single, “Snakes.” They are more inspiring, though, when they slow down, as on “Shine Tester, Shine Tester” and the climate awareness anthem “Maybe.” This latter track is the album’s standout, boasting a lighters-aloft chorus worthy of Snow Patrol. Against the odds, Autons add up to a whole lot more than the sum of their parts.
--Oliver Gray
