ANTILLES SOMETHING NEW ALBUM MAJOR DIGITAL RELEASE: JANUARY, 2009 REVIEW: APRIL 2, 2009

On my never ending quest to find new synthpop talent, time has come to re-visit our neighbour in the south. The Danes have enjoyed sweeps of success in the electronic field, but are still well behind Sweden and Norway in the Nordic electropop league. Leæther Strip may be almost scarily active, Depeche Mode clones Portland released a very strong album a few years ago, my darlings Intricated have released two brilliant albums in the 2000's and new acts will follow I'm sure, but until then Antilles will fill that gaping void with ease.

Contrasting their sound with a mix of Italo-esque upbeat synthpop and breezy downtempo tracks, Antilles seem very able to handle all directions within the electronic pop field. Vocalist Anne Christine handles her output with delicacy, her voice smooth as silk over David Witkowski's dreamy electronics. Ten pop pearls inhabit "Something New", an album far from monotone club beats and over-the-top distortion.

I can spot only one flaw with this fantastic debut. It has not been released as a regular CD and is only available to download. Call me old fashioned (I know I am, by the way), but this is one of those albums where you would want a booklet to flip through while listening, as this is one truly unique, hypnotising synthpop journey.

NIKLAS FORSBERG