4 Comments to “Autons – Short Term Manifesto”

1. DSO says:

   January 24, 2009 at 4:42 PM

   DSO 8/10

   It’s appropriate that this first album from Autons is distributed in part by Cambridge fanzine/label Repeat as there is definitely something of punk’s ‘just do it’ ethic about Autons and their music; and few things encapsulate punk like a black and white phococopied fanzine. But the ‘punk’ label here is strictly limited. ‘Ethical pop punk’ is more like what Autons are up to on Short Term Manifesto – the title perhaps a dig at the cynical politicking of governments around the globe to the issue of climate change? The ethical dimension coming from the fact that green issues are one of the motivators behind Auton’s songwriting (reflected too in the official contact address for the band which lies hidden in something called ‘The Sustainability Centre’ somewhere in England) – though you’d be hard pressed to know that just from listening to their songs. Do not fear. This is no dreary collection of preachy hippy drivel. Hey, if it’s good enough for Coldplay to be green and pleasant but earn plenty of the greenback at the same time – then why not profit from your world-hugging messages? – fine by me!

   However, you can have too much of a good thing so it’s good news that alongside environmental issues the band feel equally driven to write songs about cult TV and horror flicks too (The Devil In Me, It’s A Strange Thing and Words She Said). The style of the album varies from Marc Bolan-esque glam of It’s A Strange Thing, that just drips with 70s arrangements and instrumentation, through the raw punching guitars and percussion of first single Snakes (voted second in last year’s Festive Fifty), and onto their second single, the slow, soulful ballad Firebird; all of which are carried by David Auton’s unique and often quirky voice. Meanwhile, Spartacus lifts the distinctive melody from OMD’s Red Frame, White Light and legitimately makes it their own. I’ve a personal soft spot for the beautiful Different Eyes, a clever combination of soul-bearing emotion, addictive sequencing and momentous backing synths. It’s a bit of an odd assortment, a collection of individually distinctive songs for sure, but perhaps only lacking a sense of cohesion that would make it truly great. Something a touch more development and a well-chosen producer for their second album should help with, but as a debut, Short Term Manifesto offers plenty of moments worth savouring.
2. Amplifer Magazine says:

   January 24, 2009 at 4:44 PM

   Amplifier Magazine

   There’s a real sense of ambitions being achieved on this impressive debut. Tony Auton gives a clue as to what’s going on when he says, “We wanted to ADD to all our favorite music, to be inspired but not copy. It’s a proper album, with ebbs and flows.” The influences are certainly on view throughout, but they are myriad and catholic, from T-Rex (“It’s A Strange Thing”) to Devo (“The Devil In Me”), with lots of eighties electronica along the way.

   This could easily have led to something incoherent, but, with the help of a glorious production job by Mercury-nominated Rich Tamblyn, it hangs together in a highly listenable way. David Auton, who wrote all the songs, is a seriously talented person who has waited a while for the opportunity to demonstrate his talents and he sure as hell isn’t going to waste the chance.

   Autons describe themselves as “electro punk/glam/rock’n’roll,” and this selection of interests is best illustrated in their first single, “Snakes.” They are more inspiring, though, when they slow down, as on “Shine Tester, Shine Tester” and the climate awareness anthem “Maybe.” This latter track is the album’s standout, boasting a lighters-aloft chorus worthy of Snow Patrol. Against the odds, Autons add up to a whole lot more than the sum of their parts.
3. drownedinsound.com says:

   January 24, 2009 at 4:44 PM

   drownedinsound.com 7/10

   Autons are named after a Dr Who monster (living store mannequins, to be precise – though I don’t actually think the things need to come to life to be slightly freaky), but are not here to kill or enslave the human race. Which is nice to know, isn’t it? Instead, they make electro rock/pop using keys, guitars, drum machines and distantly emotive vocals. Their take on this concoction of noises sometimes misfires, but their debut album Short Term Manifesto still has plenty of moments that’re worth hearing.

   Such as? Well, there’s single ‘Snakes in the Mirror’, opening with a blast of guitars and feedback which spawns a too-fast-too-follow synth line before the punchy drums and breathlessly detached vocals kick into a high speed pop oddity ended by a shatter of broken mirror-glass. And next track ‘Shine Tester, Shine Tester’ isn’t bad either, with a brittle synth line weaving in and out of a bludgeoning pulse of guitars. ‘Ice Major’ has horribly organic, squelching synths which make the vocal claim that “Maybe I’m the Ice Major” sound far more threatening than such apparently meaningless words have any right to be. ‘Devil in Me’ has a synth line like rain under crunching guitars; ‘It’s a Strange Thing’ is kinda daft but it does swing…

   …And so on. Autons’ compulsivity lies in marrying fairly straightforward, unpretentious mixtures of sound – catchy hooks, strong beats, bold lines and bright colours – to an emotional context of oddly detached strong feelings. This is backed up and picked out by the odder moments in the music: the rhythms that stop so unexpectedly that the whole song jolts; the speed of the synths giving things a breathless quality; the odd sound effects peeking out from behind walls of full-on rock noise. And although the resulting album certainly isn’t perfect, it does become more intriguing the more you listen to it. And plus, in places, it’s catchy as fuck.
4. Planet Sound says:

   January 24, 2009 at 4:47 PM

   Planet Sound 8/10

   If The White Stripes did disco they’d probably sounds something akin to Autons. Their superb debut DIY single Snakes was a great taster for this their debut album Short Term Manifesto, and The Devil In Me is proof they’ve got plenty of tricks up their sleeves. David Auton’s wailing vocals have a primeval quality that most other singers just can’t get close too. This album is a manifesto for rock glory.