Plugs
Imaginary Friend EP

Can any set of words strike more fear into a Drowned In Sound reader than "Does It Offend You Yeah side project”? Besides "Joanna Newsom shot dead" or "Government cracks down on people criticising bands now they are successful", probably not. However to call Plugs a DIOYY side-project would perhaps be unfair. Morgan, lead singer, in the Reading floor-fillers has been working on Plugs for months and amidst the rumours his contract with the 'main' band was only ever for a year it could well emerge that Plugs becomes less of a 'side' and more of a 'main'.

As for the music, it takes a more psychedelic approach to the Shoreditch dance rock style with a soulful approach. The band's Myspace (Plugs must rank alongside A as been un-Google-able) is a series of kaleidoscopic swirls and twirls which is possibly best how to sum up the music as well. 'Imaginary Friend' skips through the LSD fields holding Hot Chip and Prince’s hand all the way. Automated beats ratatatat hard and the drops are in all the right places; a future dance floor smash- no doubt. An unnecessary remix by the latest Nathan Barley wannabes Heartbreak is up next. On a three track debut by a new band a remix is poor form, it implies there is not strong enough material to flesh out a full EP. This may well not be the case but where is the evidence? What is three tracks? A single? Mini EP? Whatever, ending things is another weak funk workout in 'Real Celebrities' which conjures up very little reaction besides it has quite a good bass line.

'Imaginary Friend' shows promise and lots of it. However a band prepared to be judged and represented by the rest of the material on show here needs to reassess its thought process.