Cyclefly

If it's true that imitation is the highest and sincerest form of flattery, then Cyclefly must have a whole Top Ten chart worth of bands blushing uncontrollably. On their 11-track debut release, Generation Sap, the multinational European quintet pay their deepest respects to everyone from Bolan and Bowie to Placebo and the Pumpkins with little bits of alt-rock trappings thrown in for good measure. Yet despite the glaringly obvious influences, and the not too subtle attempt to be big rock stars in the process, the album actually manages to be halfway decent. Perhaps it's because there are so many influences and the band has enough skill to mix them up in just the right amounts in the right places with enough sheer aggression that it's not a record to be so quickly dismissed. Sure, "Whore" could be this year's “Today” (Smashing Pumpkins) and "Crawl Down" could be this year's “From Out of Nowhere” (Faith No More) and there's enough wah-wah pedal to choke Dave Navarro but who cares? The songs are actually pretty good, even if there are no points for originality.