Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner have good reason to feel hard done by. The Brooklyn duo released a much-hyped debut album three years ago, only to find that all the acclaim and sales went to another underground New York act with the unlikely name of the Scissor Sisters. Instead of sulking, however, they've quickly produced a follow-up - and if this doesn't break them, then it's hard to imagine that anything will. Odyssey is a big, bold, colourful slab of electro-pop with compulsive hooks, funky beats and choruses that make you instantly reach for the repeat button. And just to add a bit of intellectual heft, the late essayist Susan Sontag and ex-Talking Head David Byrne have both provided excellent lyrical contributions. As poppy as it is, there's a substance and confidence about this album that augurs well for Fischerspooner's future. Whether the public will give them another chance remains to be seen.
