Scarlet. - Effigy (2020) Hi-Res

Difficult to decide on the best bit of this Liverpool band’s outrageously slick debut. The throbbing tension of Heart on a Line? The sheer pop thrills of previous single Anyway? Guitars that scream and shimmer while the band revel in what seems like an effortless, telepathic relationship? Could be any one of ‘em. Having hooked up with producer Al Groves (Bring Me The Horizon, Elvis Costello), they’ve clearly decided on a ‘go big or go home’ approach: Effigy sounds HUGE.

Marrying the modern pop savvy of Paramore to the ethereal otherness of Belly, Scarlet. (their own punctuation, incidentally, lest we confuse 'em for the Independent Love Song lot) take aim at the pop dartboard and land joyously close to the bullseye.

In fact, their only real area for improvement is an overly-cautious lyrical approach that doesn’t quite match up to the strident character of their tunes – there's some beautifully allusive imagery here, but it sometimes feels weighed down by easy 'way/say/away' rhymes. No outright clunkers, though, and they've plenty of time to develop yet. Scores, then: three outta five, in a seven outta ten kinda way. Promising beginnings indeed.