The Sunshine Underground
Raise the Alarm
(City Rockers)
Imagine Joy Division, Pink Floyd and the Happy Mondays engaging in a beer-fuelled jam session and you've pretty much got the Sunshine Underground's latest album.
Raise the Alarm is a sometimes-glorious collision of indie rock, psychedelia and dance, and whether this unlikely combination succeeds will depend on how much of a purist you are about these genres.
The Leeds band named after a Chemical Brothers track have built a loyal following through their raucous live shows, where their big choruses, throbbing bass lines and repetitive beats come into full play. This feeling of communal celebration translates well on disc, and it's easy to picture a sweaty, wide-eyed army waving their hands in the air in time with soaring numbers such as Somebody's Always Getting in the Way and Borders.