LIKE an over-wound musical box, the debut offering of British Sea Power is a high-tempo mix of classic guitars and keyboard melodies which takes time to wind down to its best. Early tracks offer a frenetic rhythm and yelping vocals not best appreciated on a summer's day, but great before a rocking night out. This debut album really gets into its stride with former A-sides Something Wicked and Remember Me, anthems to grab the attention. While never as sing-along as many rock favourites, The Decline Of British Sea Power offers a real range from the hyperactive to the horizontal, with a little Gregorian chanting thrown in for fun. Their spring tour, which included a headline gig at Fibbers in York last month, is bound to throw the Cumbrian five-piece into the public eye, and if they keep up the successes of the later tracks, they will be there for a good long time.

Updated: 10:15 Thursday, June 12, 2003