Platinum Coils

In the British post-punk milieu in the first half of the ‘80s, The Monochrome Set was the odd band out. Instead of stark, doomy sounds, the group trafficked in tuneful, sharp ‘60s–style pop with witty lyrics, coming off like the Thatcher era’s answer to The Kinks. After splitting in the mid-‘80s, The Monochrome Set became active again in the ‘90s, but Platinum Coils is the band’s first outing since 1995’s Trinity Road. It’s as though no time at all had passed since the glory days of albums like Eligible Bachelors. Ever-wry, winningly sardonic singer/lyricist Bid still sounds like he’s on a break from some satirical ‘60s Peter Sellers film. Guitarist Lester Square’s eloquent, angular riffs still sparkle like the buttons on a brocade coat. And whether the band is banging out a perky ode to irresistible motion (“I Can’t Control My Feet”) or digging into a mysterious, minor-key spy-movie vibe (“Waiting for Alberto”), it continues to display an infectious mastery of smart, sophisticated pop.