Klaxons

Add Date: September 28 

Artist: Klaxons 

Album: Surfing the Void 

Label: Tiny Ogre 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: Klaxons, a London 3-piece, mix the modern British rock of bands like Arctic Monkeys with the dance-rock of acts like The Rapture. Their 2007 debut Myths of the Near Future won the prestigious Mercury Prize--an award most recently given to another fledgling act from the capital, The xx--but it's taken over three and a half years for Klaxons to follow that up. Evidently, that time has been filled with some controversy, including recording sessions with Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford that were abandoned, and songs that were rejected by their label, the UK major Polydor.

What we finally get with Surfing the Void is a solid, if not particularly exciting, collection that generally stays faithful to the band's sound, while also experimenting with some heavier progressive rock influences, particularly on the latter half of the record. Fans of British rock, dance-punk and alternative styles will find something to enjoy here. Start with "Echoes," "Valley of the Calm Trees" and "Flashover."