Pitchfork

This is one of those albums that reminds you of that first sip of Odwalla: though the ingredients are familiar (in the case of Quickspace, guitar, organ, bass and drums) you can't get over how fresh it tastes. Quickspace leader Tom Cullinan (formerly of Th' Faith Healers) says that "The idea is to make something that grabs you the first time, but stands up to repeated listening." He achieves this by melding a distinctive, sparse production style with daringly repetitious melodies that bounce like a Spalding. And though half the songs clock in at over seven minutes, they (mostly) don't drag; Quickspace create a groove, settle in and explore.

So what are they like, you ask? Well, the retro cover art and conspicuous Moog make Stereolab the obvious comparison, but Quickspace are less kitchy and more guitar-driven, with several tracks revealing a bit of American lo-fi influence. The term "Krautrock" has some nasty derogatory connotations, so let's call this "Goddamn- Gerry- Bastards" Rock. But you know, like, the U.K. version. I kid you. This is simply pop music, but pop music done well. Vocals are buried and unintelligible (which was a good call, as neither Cullinan nor Nina Pascale could carry a tune with a backloader), reverb is heavy, and the overall feel is catchy and atmospheric in the way the British do best.