ANYONE buying this album should file it under the "too clever by half" section of their CD collection.

Clor reach levels of pretentiousness seldom seen today. Need convincing? Then try to make sense of this piece of PR gold written to accompany the debut: "Their self-titled album is a flawless masterpiece of dissociated male sexuality and scientific investigation set to irresistibly insistent tunes".

Nonetheless, when you take the record for what it really is - an eccentric slice of electro-punk-funk - it won't be the worst album you will hear this year. Single Outlines is catchy enough, while standout track Love And Pain, with its spunky bass and whining chorus, should have no problem filling dancefloors. Singer Barry Dobbin's drawling ballad, Gifted, points to a more affecting tender side.

Updated: 08:56 Thursday, July 21, 2005