LOUDER than bombs and scrubbed to within an inch of its life, the second outing from New York punk-turned-new wave disciple Wesley Eisold is an album of extremes.

With its back against a wall of glacial keyboards and howling guitars, it has feeble tracks (Alchemy And You and Icons Of Summer are bad Haircut 100 and early-Depeche Mode respectively) and harmlessly ridiculous tracks (opener The Great Pan Is Dead). But the rest is classic, bold, streamlined synth-pop, bristling with ideas and invention, from Confetti’s infectious electro-thud (where Eisold drawls “You look so good on the outside”) to the wistful, Cure-esque Catacombs and the chiming rush of Pacing Around The Church.

Cherish The Light Years reloads and juices up the best bits of the Eighties with a touch of angular, icy class, and if anybody ever decides to remake The Breakfast Club or Risky Business, they won’t have to look further than this for a soundtrack.