Chicago DIY outfit Deeper release their latest album, Auto-Pain. The post-punk four-piece mine the electro-pop genre of the '80s to create a retro sound that is repackaged for a modern audience...

Those of us old farts who lived through the '80s will instantly recognise the sounds and vibe this album emits. I couldn't decide if it was a loving homage to the past or a blatant rip off. There's the familiar bass sound here, the occasional keyboard riff there... but it drags up memories of everything from Adam and the Ants to Simple Minds via New Order.

I can't help feeling that "borrowing" from the past, in this instance diminishes the modern take the band are striving for (or should be striving for). There are so many '80s retrospective acts around at the moment that sadly Deeper are in danger of vanishing into the shadows. It's obvious that they have talent and are impressive performers, I just wish there was a little more passion and diversity to this release. It does feel, when you've heard one track, that you've heard them all.

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Nick Smithson