Every Move a Picture

Like the Killers before them, San Francisco’s Every Move a Picture captured the attention of the Brits with their retro-fuelled indie rock before people back home starting taking notice. You’ve heard the hype story before: played on BBC and key shows on KROQ and KCRW, sell-out shows, and all this with only a self-produced three-song EP recorded for 300 bucks. But on this proper full-length, do they prove worthy of the buzz? For the most part, they do. Comparisons to the Killers and Franz Ferdinand aren’t without merit, but there’s a little more complexity to their music than this might suggest. Opening the album is "Mission Bell,” a throwback to Pete Shelley’s "Homosapien” sets the pace for the rest of Heart=Weapon. This means plenty of British-sounding new wave-ish indie rock with razor-sharp guitars, lush synths and a tight rhythm section. One would expect angular haircuts too. With playful vocals that eerily conjure up the ghost of Platinum Blonde, it will be hard for these guys to escape the retro tag. However, by the time you get to the album’s excellent closer "St John’s Night,” it won't matter, you’ve already bought in.