Polytechnic may be the most exciting band to come out of Manchester this year, according to those in the know - but funnily enough, none of the indie quintet actually hail from the northern city. Based there since 2004, however, Polytechnic began life as The Conversation - a Krautrock-influenced electro-experimental trio consisting of lead singer and guitarist Dylan, bassist Yuri and drummer Tim. A name change was compulsorily inflicted upon them by a similarly-monikered band - but as it happens, Polytechnic is an apt revision, considering that two of its founding members met while at school in Devon. Lead guitarist Denny, who was living in Berlin at the time, was drafted in, as was keyboardist Peet - and the definitive Polytechnic line-up burst onto the airwaves with debut single Man Overboard in December of last year. It was a single that led UK DJ Steve Lamacq to endorse the five as his 'favourite new band' - an overblown, keyboard-glutted alt-rock tune with a touch of the epic about it. Considering that that particular track is far from Polytechnic's best, one can only imagine the excessive praise that their debut long player, Down Til Dawn, will leave in its wake. The majority of the album adheres to the indie guitar band blueprint, which is no sin in a debut - especially if it's executed with enthusiasm. Polytechnic certainly don't fail on that count; though they effect their fair share of Echo and the Bunnymen-style uptempo melancholia (Bible Stories, Running Out of Ideas), there's also a strong Pavement-style college-rock influence in there, too, with Rain Check, Quay Street and Won't You Come Around in particular, sharing a Malkmus vibe. There's even a subtle hint of jangly, Beach Boys melodic pop (the aptly-titled standout Pep), while Hoof is a Franz Ferdinand-meets-Phoenix style mash-up, and a potential indie disco hit. Polytechnic undoubtedly employ a bounty of derivation in their music; but it's this same old-school charm that makes Down Til Dawn so disarmingly likeable.
