Debut 6-track EP from Home Front, a 2 piece hailing from the frozen wilds of Edmonton, Canada, and apparently recorded in an unheated plywood box in some semblance of fading daylight – whatever the conditions, the coupling of Graeme MacKinnon (Voice, Guitars, Bass), and Clint Frazier (Synths, Drums, Programming) have pulled of that neat trick of arcing backwards yet at the same time signalling a future path. The entire EP references that time immediately after the first flashes of punk when synths and keyboards fell in price and became more readily available, when bands like Suicide, Kas Product and early New Order were experimenting with that technology, offering a credible alternative to punks dwindling returns.

Home Front are right there; opener Flaw In The Design is a frantic blur of analog synths, guitar slashes, and punched drum machine patterns, chilled barked vocals and soaring melodies, that combines the adrenaline rage of punk attitude with the machine led future; Bit Of Dust is darker, the drums pummel relentlessly, all sorts of squelches accompany the anthemic chorus as the track mutates into Focus which reduces the pace with its perfect interplay of synths and guitars – this really is perfect pop.