Since wowing the masses at Hard Working Class Heroes last month - and consequently being tipped as one of the most exciting young bands on the scene, Galway quartet Dark Room Notes are out to prove that their worth is more valuable than an brilliant debut single and a couple of impressive remixes. Although there's nothing as immediately grabbing as Love Like Nicotine on display here, Dead Start Program is equally enjoyable nonetheless. Slow Puncture and I Walked To the River both adhere to the band's love of dark '80s indie, with smatterings of atmospheric synths and New Order-style guitars over a poppy rhythm, and Ronan Gaughan's distinctive, semi-strained vocal style suits the mood perfectly. It's closer Shake Shake My Ceiling that's most enjoyable here, though, its suave undercurrent of menace providing the tastiest synthtastic morsel. We await the album with anticipation.
