I Woke Up and I Was Gone1969 Records **

They've been together since 1990, but The Pale don't eschew innovation. Launching an iPhone app to tie in with this album, Matthew Devereux and co are apparently keen to update their indie-rock image, but the problem with their eighth full-length record is that it's too awkwardly snagged on a miscellany of jaunty 1990s indie sounds to hold its own amongst today's bands. The Boy with the Antlers, an odd fusion of Parisian street waltz and experimental vocals, is one of only a handful of memorable tunes here (although some suspect lyrical couplets on Hanging Around Airports are unforgettable for different reasons). Still, this isn't a bad album per se – just a terribly uninspiring one that inoffensively chugs along from start to finish. thepale.ie

Download tracks: The Boy With the Antlers, It Should Be Illegal