Not Squares - Yeah OK

Since forming in 2008 with the express intention (as their name suggests) of remedying the lack of ‘party bands’ within their local scene, Belfast three-piece Not Squares have been steadily building up quite a bit of buzz. One of the main reasons for this has been a fearsome live reputation, but riotous singles like ‘Asylum’ haven’t exactly hurt their cause either. Their debut album Yeah OK - released on the widely-adored Richter Collective label – therefore comes accompanied by no shortage of frenzied anticipation.

It’s frustrating, then, that it all takes so long to get going. Choosing to kick off your debut LP with a near-eight-minute track is admirably brave, but ‘Release The Bees’ seems more concerned with making plenty of noise than actually going anywhere in particular. It’s a pulsing, swirling mix of thumping electro beats and chanted vocals, but it keeps promising a pay-off that never really arrives, and ultimately sounds a bit ham-fisted. This is followed by ‘De Na Na’ and ‘In Front’, both of which are in a similar vein – a sort of boisterous electro-punk fusion that nods towards beat-oriented acts like Soulwax or the DFA label – but likewise fail to do anything truly memorable.

Luckily, though, the Northerners manage to find their range four tracks in. ‘Smith & Carlos’ hits on an irresistible liquid groove, overlaying it with sleek synths and a vocal hook that calls to mind The Rapture at their peak. It’s the first in a string of tracks that demonstrate why the band has garnered so much positive attention. The aforementioned ‘Asylum’ is propelled by dancefloor-slaying bass and Foals-like guitar lines, while ‘Don’t Do Nothing’ is a throbbing, cowbell-flecked number reminiscent of one of James Murphy’s punkier moments.

Thankfully, this forward momentum is maintained to the end: ‘Ojos Para Volar’ plays around with the same punk-funk template to impressive effect, and ‘Bi Kan Na’ returns to the hyperactive, blip-heavy formula of the opening tracks, only with far better results. Closing track ‘53’ is a seriously impressive parting-shot, its shimmering slow-build giving way to a sinister bassline and frantic electronic coda.

You could possibly make an argument for the tracks that work best on Yeah OK being those on which the influences are all too clear, but Not Squares clearly aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel; they’re just hoping to give it a good spin.