The opening number, "Superelastic," offers the impression that Velo-Deluxe are merely an eccentric hard pop band, with swirling guitars, some subtle horns and odd noise ruminating in the background. Subsequent tracks expose a deeper band that understands melody and hooks as well as they understand noise. Most importantly, however, they understand songs. Guitarist/vocalist/producer John Strohm croons country tunes like "Angels" with the same agility and ease as some of the record"s harder numbers. All these pieces exhibit the same uniform, high quality, however, and none fits in awkwardly as a part of the whole. The band"s playing works like a musical chameleon, never straying too far out of range of color, but quite comfortable in the chosen territory. This wonderful debut is a glorious find. Fans of Flop, The Posies, and Love Battery will no doubt appreciate the fine pop songs and fantastic songwriting. Unlike the vacuum cleaner on the cover of Superelastic, Velo-Deluxe do not suck. --Adem Tepedelen