Chew Lips - Unicorn

East London boy-girl-boy trio Chew Lips do a good line in dance-pop, and since forming in early 2008 they've been busy fiddling with the electro template. Their first long player is a testament to their tinkering; with energetic techno-esque moments like Seven, right through to slow-burning chill-out numbers like Too Much Talking and Piano Song. But it’s when they meet in the middle that the sound works best. Elsewhere, Slick and Golden Key build like a foreboding electro storm, offset by singer Tigs’ sleazy, full-throated vocals, before fading out on waves of synth. The pattern does however wear a little thin on occasion and the exclusion of the first two singles renders Unicorns a strangely incomplete listen. Gaps are hastily stuffed with Super Mario type bleeps and cascading shooting-star noises – like you've just hit the jack-pot on a Fruit Machine – and whilst there are definite nuggets of perfection, Chew Lips haven’t quite struck gold just yet. [Anna Docherty]