Silk Cut: Our Place in the Stars (digital outlets)

  In the jargon of classic British police dramas, Auckland singer/songwriter and guitarist Andrew Thorne of Silk Cut has “considerable prior form”.

He has helmed Splitter, Thorne and the Wilburys-like Calico Brothers, and has been in bands for Don McGlashan, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn, Tim Finn, Jan Hellriegel and Greg Fleming. He's written and produced soundtrack and advertising material, his songs have appeared inOutrageous Fortune, Being Eve, Suits . . .

Considerable prior form.

Here with Splitter/Calico bandmate Aiden Phillips (bass), drummer Jayden Lee (Hands Off) and Roulettes' guitarist Justin McLean, Silk Cut deliver a tidy 40-minute debut opening with a tickle of synths on A Very Special Life which suggests Tangerine Dream of the late Seventies. But then it leaps ahead a decade to become a chest-swelling indie-rock power-pop ballad in the manner of Big Star or Paul (Replacements) Westerberg.

It's a genre revisited on I Remember the Winter and thereafter they confidently engage with Lennonesque dream-pop (Manta Ray), the Floyd-influenced Mountain Under the Sea, psychedelic pop (Forever Unknown, Drive For You), and an acoustic ballad (Dream On With Me).

Silk Cut keep a uniformly high engagement right to the closer, the guitar-noir instrumental theme to the British police drama The Sweeney.

Their musical MO may be familiar, but this is arresting.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here

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Album tour dates

Nivara Lounge, Hamilton, Thursday 23 February 2023, with DateMonthYear.

Thirsty Dog, Auckland, Friday 24 February 2023, with Christina Cusiel and DJ Stingy Brim.

Paraoa Brewing, Whangaparaoa, Wednesday, 1 March 2023 supporting the legendary Australian band Hoodoo Gurus.