Creating a sound akin to The Killers being locked in a room with The Psychedelic Furs and forced to write a bunch of unashamedly indie pop songs, Clone Quartet are a Belfast four piece with a keen ear for a tune.

Debut long player WELL-OILED MACHINE is a shimmering take on dreamlike electro synth pop, opener CAROUSEL taking its cues from eighties synth pop. Traces of The Human League, Duran Duran and Tubeway Army, but also with a darker post-punk element to it; echoes of Joy Division and Wire.  Its the pure pop that shines through the brightest though, a Psychedelic Furs influence in lead singer Andy's vocals; borrowing from the gravely slur of Richard Butler, the words dragged out in a cool deep drawl.

YOUNG FOAL is reminiscent of a band like M83, Clone Quartet indulging in the same synth driven dreampop influences; gorgeous, silk like stuff.  The beat strewn TWENTY FIVE (KANE WAS A CURSE) hints towards a more dance driven side; equal parts Bright Eyes and The Rapture whilst the metallic overtones of NEED YOUR LOVE find the band indulging their noisier urges, snarling guitar riffs constantly gatecrashing the disco beats and bleeps.

With HOLD ON, Clone Quartet make strides towards a new wave pop punk sound, the delicate vocals skipping over frenetic drum patterns and crashing riffs; title track WELL-OILED MACHINE, a busy sounding slice of cascading shoegazing pop.

PLAYED TO DEATH features screeching vocal outbursts and indie rocking guitar work, Clone Quartet letting loose with an energised live sounding side to their work whilst the chaotic 10 LIES and the none more alt-rocking melodicism of WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE imagines Babyshambles getting roughed up by Dinosaur Jr in the mid eighties US college rock scene.  Closing number YOU DON'T NEED ME (BUT I NEED YOU) feels like a spiritual jumping off point from where The Postal Service left things with their Give Up album, Clone Quartet managing to sound every bit as joyous, inventive and sublime as that band.

An incredibly impressive sounding collection of songs that brim with invention, energy and buoyant brilliance, WELL-OILED MACHINE finds Clone Quartet offering up a record to die for.  Hopefully, bound for great things, Clone Quartet are a band that, if there's any justice in the world will emerge as conquering heroes of the indie rocking electro pop scene.

Formed by Andy Henry, Belfast-based Clone Quartet deal in colliding electro rhythms, synthetic stabs and spiky guitar riffs. A recent support slot with The Rapture, a performance art project with the Turner Prize-nominated Tomoko Takahashi and a Radio 1 session are just some of the exciting things the band have been up to this year.

Clone Quartet>www.myspace.com/clonequartet