If you thought the 80s revival began and ended with Top Shop's neon leg-warmers and The Bravery's homage to Duran Duran (via their very existence), think again. Not only is that particular epoch's resurgence still gaining steady momentum, bands like Captain are positively annexing its err.. distinctive sound and making it their own. Not that they'd actually admit to owing anything or anyone a debt, that is; Captain, you see, are a stand-alone band, a unique beast, a 'glorious anomaly', according to the press release. The reality? This Is Hazelville is a thoroughly decent debut album, but a far-from-diagnostic one. Producer Trevor Horn's trademark subterfuge is creating albums that are warm, layered, polished and orchestral; This Is Hazelville is warm, layered, polished and orchestral. From the opening Mew-like cinematic sweep of Hazelville, Captain tread delicately through Prefab Sprout's catchiest junctures by way of Deacon Blue (Glorious) and early Beautiful South (Western High).However, electing to perform practically every track here as a male/female harmonic duet was perhaps not a prudent move; although Clare Szembek's voice is competently gentle, and tempers Rik Flynn's often dense, accented vocals, more solo efforts by the latter would perhaps have been more effective. Nonetheless, uptempo synth-heavy tracks like the glorious Glorious and the sassy showtune flourish of This Heart Keeps Beating For Me make amends, the former contributing one of the best choruses of the summer; while Wax's plump bassline, neat keyboard riff and eventual wig-out provides a welcome divergence from the sometimes prosaic blueprint. At worst, Captain are predictable and overly-familiar; at best, creators of simple-yet-epic pop songs that have serious potential for durability. They're not half as indefinable as perhaps they'd like to be, nor half as quirky; but still, This Is Hazelville dispenses a comforting intimacy that's hard to beat when it hits the right spots.