Relentlessly retro could be this band; catchphrase. Redolent of so many bands beloved of the likes of the NME back in the day, For Abel – formerly known as Nacional – hit the road with the sat-nav set for success with their album "Greater Inventions".
All things told, it's actually not that bad an album. Whilst there is a certain amount of perhaps unavoidable filler that sounds like it was redistributed or otherwise redirected from old albums from the likes of The Wedding Present or even, in a somewhat less camp manner, The Smiths, there are also moments of entirely enjoyable exuberance. Singer Robert Armstrong, in particular, mixes laconic indifference with intensity to good effect with "On TV" pretty much summing up his style.
Standout tracks on were the lyrically clever "On TV", the splendidly derivative "Yorkshire" and the splashy pseudo indie rock of "Telephone". Will "Greater Inventions" be the album to break this band through into the big time? Only time will tell.