LHB Tell 'Em Who We Are Review

Yes, you read that correctly. Telstar. No cool imprint with the corporate logo hidden away somewhere at the bottom of the sleeve artwork and no white label release to the music business in attempt to divert attention away from this fact. It's not even a product of their smaller Multiply Records.

Label snobbery aside, LHB's Tell 'Em Who We Are is an infectious listen that in it's own understated way does much to challenge the preconceptions of popular dance music. With a studio full of all the right bits of equipment; the squelchometer, vocalator, rock-o-tron and pumpamax XL756 Giles Barton and Lee Wilson-Wolfe have put together a tidy album of original and unpretentious tuneage. Pushing house grooves and the odd rock sensibility, LHB are serving up a sound that might best be described as the bouncing love child of Daft Punk and Depeche Mode.

Opening with the straight-forward stomp "No Transmission" the album progresses through an impressive menu of electro, guitar jangles, bleeps and synth swells. The charming title track "Tell 'Em Who We Are" makes headway in to the calmer waters of Royksopp whilst "Coming Up For Air" assisted by the emotive Imogen Heap on vocals is a claustrophobic, twisting, analogue breakbeat lope reminiscent of the Crystal Method.

Despite the somewhat obvious statement made by "We Live In Cities", the track redeems itself as the most infectious on the record. Using a vocodered lyric (which will loop itself in your head for days) whilst lifting the bass line from The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", playing it backwards and generally mashing it up can't help but raise a smile. Clever stuff this, and respect is due to LHB for producing such a bold and accomplished debut that pulls off many ideas that on paper most would have been thrown in the bin. Well worth making the effort.