Longwave - The Strangest Things (2003)

They may be tousle-haired New Yorkers with a penchant for fitted thrift-store trousers and a well-worn copy of Television's Marquee Moon, but that doesn't mean Longwave sounds anything like one-time touring partners and spiritual mates the Strokes. Despite his elegantly wasted delivery singer Steve Schiltz sounds more Julian Cope than Julian Casablancas, and the band's music is decidedly less high-strung than that of contemporaries such as the Rapture and Walkmen. Songs like "Wake Me When It's Over" and "Meet Me at the Bottom" are stylish and expansive, evoking the familiar atmosphere of U2! 's October and Radiohead's The Bends, all the while sounding defiantly contemporary. It's not always easy listening but it's certainly rewarding.