5 out of 10

Beck drummer synth-punk mess

ima robot are the sort of band that smell more like a 'project' than a band. the braainchild of Beck drummer Joey Waronker, they mould together shouty anthena pop and art-school quirkyness but often forget to add the essential heartbeat. It's a bit like getting a crack-bearing brickie to redesign the Sistine Chapel - sturdy in construction but lacking any genuine inspiration. luckily, this doesnt totally scupper the ima robot experience. in vocalist Alex Ebert they've at least got a distinctive voice. OK, he sings a bit like a girl, but at least its the kind of girl that'll rip your nads off with her bare teeth if you said that to her face. But overall you're left with frustraiting signs that, beneath their synth-punk by numbers, the band own an unhealthy amount of Devo records And it's a pity they didn't try stretching themselves a little further in that direction. Simon Hayes Budgen