One of the most promising of a new generation of British guitar bands, the clumsily-titled Cooper Temple Clause make a strong statement of intent with this confident, purposeful debut album. Most of See This Through And Leave is an invigorating blast of punk-pop noise, with deep-throated vocalist Benedict Gautrey belting out his lyrics with the attitude of a young Liam Gallagher. And while the Reading sextet may ultimately be as hidebound by their influences as Oasis, at least they've clearly listened to more than just Beatles records, beefing up their indie template with the judicious use of samples, synths and keyboards. The sheer bravado of it all gets a little overbearing at times, and lyrics about the shallowness of the music industry sound a bit premature from such a youthful outfit. Minor carps aside, however, The Cooper Temple Clause can only be praised for displaying a sense of ambition that marks them out from most of their contemporaries.
