Medium 21 – Killings From The Dial

Hailing from the arsehole of England (Northampton), Medium 21 do a grand job of masking their glum roots in a sandstorm of transatlantic slacker pop and the salient tones of John Clough (a harmonious croak somewhere between ’77 Bowie and The Blue Nile’s Paul Buchanan). The punchy “Acting Like A Mirror” will guarantee the youth vote, but M21 are at their best on the mature, sanguine haze of “Black And White Summer” and “Poisoned Postcards”.