Three trendy Londoners? A hip record label (XL Recordings)? An (admittedly ace) album sleeve that looks like a recently-graduated graphic designer's wet dream? The warning Klaxons (geddit?) are sounding even before Golden Silvers' debut album gets its debut airing on your iPod, but don't judge this book by its opulently-bound cover; the lion's share of 'True Romance' is a pretension-free zone.
Synths are almost a prerequisite for modish bands in the noughties, but the trio, led by the oddly-named Gwil Gold, largely eschew electronics for piano-based classic pop tunes with a twist. Opener 'Another Universe' sounds like Queen fronted by Patrick Wolf, 'Please Venus' gathers armfuls of retro '70s cheese and dumps them into a vat of Super Furry Animals-style psychedelia, 'Arrows of Eros' is a wonderful slab of Miami club pop (as filtered through Aztec Camera), and it's just simply impossible not to move your body to the word-slinging disco-funk of the superb 'True No. 9 Blues'.
Fair enough, there are a few tracks that also miss their target and prevent this album from scoring top marks: 'Queen of the 21st Century' is a neat pop tune, but lacks the vibrancy of its neighbours, as does the theatrical, waltz-like drama of 'Here Comes the King'. But the question is, who exactly are Golden Silvers? They appear to be straddling the boundary of the uber-cool indie scene while simultaneously possessing the potential for an offbeat chart hit. With a debut as good as this one, one or both of those developments is a distinct possibility.