On their first album, Los Angeles trio
Automatic play a punchy yet detached form of post-punk with a slight sci-fi theme. The group are clearly familiar with early Rough Trade staples like
LiLiPUT and
Delta 5 (they've even recorded a cover of the latter's signature tune, "Mind Your Own Business," as a B-side), but their droning organs and absence of lead guitars point to
Suicide as an equally crucial influence. It's probably worth mentioning that drummer
Lola Dompé is the daughter of
Kevin Haskins (
Bauhaus,
Love and Rockets,
Tones on Tail), ensuring that the group are well-versed in the darker side of alternative rock, yet they aren't quite brooding enough to be perceived as goth. Opening track "Too Much Money" sets the tone with brisk drumming, hypnotically wavering synths, and call-and-response vocal harmonies. Some of the subsequent songs, such as "Calling It" and "I Love You, Fine," establish a compelling sound and an anxious mood, then quit before things get too dramatic. "Highway," on the other hand, rides out its appropriately driving beat and
New Order-style bass line, and manages to evoke a complete road trip without saying anything other than "I drive all night." "Humanoid" paints a scene from an imaginary Blade Runner-esque film, stating "I see you turn to humanoid" over a slow, spacy waltz. "Damage" is both sinister ("I want to be there when you lose it all") and oddly relaxed, with ethereal vocals and synths floating over its race-track rhythm. This sort of electricity-and-ice dynamic gives
Automatic their unique sound and feel, and makes
Signal an intriguing debut.