Official Secrets Act - 'Understanding Electricity' (One Little Indian) Released 30/03/09

A mutual passion for British military history might not seem the most likely of foundations for a band. However, Official Secrets Act formed at Leeds University after discovering their combined lust for all things imperial. Military tactics aside, they also discovered they had a lot in common musically. Soon, three of the four-piece, began touring and were spotted by Casio keyboard aficionado Michael Evans, who was more than glad to complete the quartet. A couple of years later their debut album comes in the shape of Understanding Electricity. The title might suggest an ultra avant-garde approach to song writing – ala Foals and Animal Collective. However, the album is a collection of accessible quirky pop songs, which draw heavily upon the scratchy angular guitars of Television and the snyth trickery of Sparks.

Surely that’s just Franz Ferdinand’s new album summed up in one line? - Well yes! Understanding Electricity does suffer, because too often its influences have already been rehashed and ground down by bands, until all that’s left is a derivative pulp of art rocker indie.  That’s not to say OSA are derivative themselves-far from it. Their penchant for renaissance art and formal attire set them apart from the rest of the crowd. But, re-inventing the wheel this is certainly not. Nothing on the album jumps out at you. It’s like Brandon Flowers singing second rate Killers songs, which were left on the chopping room floor during the making of Day and Age.

Previous singles ‘The Girl From The BBC’ and ‘Victoria’ offer brief glimpses of promise.  On the latter, the electric injection of Diamonds rumbling bass provides some initial excitement. However, the song quickly falls flat, due to its week vocal hook and ‘Oh’ Mickey’ style percussion. OSA are clearly trying to align themselves with the existing main stream indie artists. But, since when was setting out to achieve mainstream success a good idea? The current crop of  indie pop artists, Scouting For Girls, The Hoosiers, Ting Tings, all do very little to excite your average music fan. What these bands do have behind them seems to be a very big marketing budget and a distinctive image. OSA has certainly got the image, but I hope for their sake the label dig deep into their pockets, or they won’t be around for much longer.