6

Looking for a silver lining

Older readers of Room Thirteen may remember a short lived, NME created scene given the rather unwieldy moniker "New Wave of the New Wave" or NWOTNW for short . On the basis of this single Silvertop would have no doubt been lumped in alongside the luminaries of this rabble a.k.a. These Animal Men.

'Office Girlfriend' is a leaden indie rocker that possesses all the subtlety of a sledgehammer and the melodic finesse of a Jet B-side recorded in your bedroom. While it would be unduly harsh to label this demo... sorry "white label" as a shambles - the playing is competent and the band display a reasonable amount of energy - it's to put it bluntly, clichéd and terribly dull. Maybe I was simply unlucky enough to find myself listening to one of their least "edgy" moments? The accompanying extra tracks are mildly more diverting and hint at previously hidden depths but lack the necessary hooks to reel in the listener.