Automatic

Reminds us of The Slits, The Go-Go’s, Joy Division, Tubeway Army, Neu, Suicide, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, The Cure.

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I first came across Automatic in June this year when their debut single Calling It was released. Calling it is dubby, slightly eerie and quite strikingly different, so it’s unsurprising that it made be sit up and pay attention. The band issued three more quality singles over the following months, and released their debut album Signal in September. It’s also very good.     

Automatic come from LA and have been making music together since 2017. The band is comprised of Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals), Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) and Halle Saxon (bass, vocals). Lola is a daughter of Kevin Haskins, the drummer from Bauhaus, who previously appeared in the band Blackblack with her sister Diva and some dude called Alex Greenwald, who was in Phantom Planet.

The name Automatic was chosen after a song by the Go-Go’s, whose influence is evident throughout the album, particularly on tracks like Too Much Money, Signal and Champagne. There however is a wide array of influences on show here, although Automatic manage to forge their own identity with their icy vocals, slightly off kilter bass and chilling synth.

Suicide in Texas is aptly very Suicide like. I Love You, fine evokes Tubeway Army. Tracks like Signal and Damage channel Joy Division. At times you can hear the Cure around the time of Seventeen Seconds and Faith, at others on tracks like Highway, Krautrock comes to the fore.  

Overall it’s a very enjoyable listen, poppy in places and yet spooky and intriguing in others. The band cite film as an important influence, especially the likes of David Lynch and his somewhat dissonant approach definitely comes through the music.

The band play just two UK gigs in October as part of their European tour, at the Shacklewell Arms (22nd) and at the Lanes in Bristol (23rd).