Friendly Fires

‘Friendly Fires’

(XL Recordings)

St Albans trio Friendly Fires may not have the hippest postcode in the world, but boy do they know how to conjure up dancefloor-fillers – their remarkable first effort inspiring frenzied toe-tapping from first listen, with Paul Epworth-produced opener ‘Jump In The Pool’ paving the way for an infectious mix of sultry basslines, shimmering electronics, subtle rhythms and scratchy riffs. Recorded entirely on a laptop in the garage of frontman Ed MacFarlane’s parents’ house, the album is a master-class in how to make first rate DIY disco punk; with tracks like ‘Photobooth’, ‘Lovesick’, ‘White Diamonds’ and ‘On Board’ heralding the closest a British band has ever come to bettering The Rapture. Playful, rhythmic and in places utterly sublime, the future looks blindingly bright for Friendly Fires.

Camilla Pia