Comfort Noise

Persil aren't quite the electro-oriented rock band along the lines of Ladytron. Instead of the stoic, emotionless posturing, this duo opt for breezy, cheerful and terribly sweet pop with the fantastic "Light Up My Life" that sounds like early Blondie or the Go-Go's with Jane Wiedlin taking lead vocals. Meanwhile, "Vox" slows things down somewhat but is equally infectious and enjoyable with Martine's vocals soaring slightly above the music. The guitar-driven bridge makes you believe Persil were influenced by the Jesus and Mary Chain and its rich, lush sounds. This format is returned to again with the charming, gear-changing, ska-tinted "Breaking the Waves." The band also hit gold with the meandering but tight "Feet" that ebbs and flows throughout. The first foray into dance-rock comes along with "Make-Do and Mend" which has the obligatory amount of hi-hat embedded in the chorus. After an ordinary "Arkadelphia," the band once again shine on the delightful, summery "Alice Austen" with its Pulp-like quality. However, the sweet Europop feeling behind "More Special Days" is a different take on the same groove as Martine's voice sounds extra sugary. The first surprise has to be how well "Hipper" builds from something mundane into something quite special thanks to some nifty guitar work and keyboard accents. Persil sound like they've been raised on the perfect record collection as "PS" has a light, airy feeling but also brings to mind the Cure. The only miscue comes during the arty, tempo-teasing and melancholic "Dance to This!" which is extremely difficult to dance to.