The Capes - Hello

It's merely January, yet it's a possibility that one of the UK's brightest records of 2006 is already climbing up the charts and into the hearts of hipsters here in the US. South London-bred lads The Capes offered us a sampling this past summer with the Taste EP, and the band has proceeded to present us with their stellar debut, Hello. Squealing, soaring keys, unforgettable hooks, and overtly British vocals are the glue holding the record together, as the band proffers an alternative to the art-school snobbishness prevalent among their peers. Not to say The Capes are dilettantes; they're more than deft enough in their trade of concocting irresistable, engaging choruses, with the ability to diversify themselves per track. Whereas "Mexican Broads" wields vocals a la hip hop, others flaunt the group's roots in Blur, XTC, Oasis, The Buzzcocks, and most every other noteworthy band to emerge from Britain in the past three decades. The Capes walk the line between new-wave revivalists, punk-popsters, and Brit-rockers with adroit precision; Hello is the result. Expect the buzz around The Capes to grow to Franz Ferdinand/Bloc Party proportions; they're headed that way. They're just as catchy and more likely to start a party. [www.thecapes.co.uk]