Pop music has been coming in from the British Isles in all shapes and sizes so far this year, with Manchester assuming the leading role as far as sound and volume. The Heart Throbs are a Mancunian quintet featuring sisters Rose (vocals, guitars) and Rachel Carlotti (bass, vocals) - the sisters of the late Echo & The Bunnymen drummer Pete deFrietas - whose style is more reminiscent of the "blonde pop" vogue of the Primitives, Darling Buds and Shop Assistants than the Stone Roses or Happy Mondays, though some songs do feature the rolling percussion common in said bands. What sets Cleopatra Grip apart from the others is the production work of Gil Norton (Pixies, Blue Aeroplanes, Pale Saints) and Martin Hannett (Joy Division, Happy Mondays) who bestow a sense of mystery to these songs, adding an ambient touch to the loud energetic guitar distortion, combining an atmospheric jangle with the prevalent power chords. Rose's waif-like vocals have the sincerity of Natalie Merchant and the influence of Patti Smith, and the harmonies and backings of sister Rachel provide an angelic front to the earnest and sometimes obsessively dissolute lyrics of this debut, whose nature is dark and delivery is dreamy. Top Throbs: "Dreamtime," "Calavera," "I Wonder Why," "Big Commotion" and "In Vain."

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