ONE WE MISSED: Silk Cut: Silk Cut (digital outlets)

Released a few weeks ago when we were otherwise engaged, this second album by the tight and seasoned Auckland four-piece should have leapt to attention, given how much we enjoyed their debut.

But we get to it now and delight in its old school, power pop familiarity (The Transfer, the Beatlesque Turning the Whole World On, the lyrically pointed Punches), surging energy (Anywhere We Can Drive, Control Option Command) and bristling guitars (Old and Blue).

If there was a criticism of their debut it was that it perhaps tried to cover too many bases. Here they have pulled tight on the rigging and drawn everything into traditional guitar pop-rock (at a time when it seems in little demand unfortunately) and the album is the better for it.

They indulge themselves on the seven minute-plus Dead Star but even there the ropes are tight.

Eleven songs, no fat.

And if I'm not mistaken -- just as they ended their previous album with the theme from The Sweeney -- they close off here with one minute of the theme to The Professionals.

Gotta love that.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here.