The revival for all things early 80s shows no real sign of abating--but as long as there continues to be records made as fine as Kicking The National Habit, the debut LP from Grand National, it's easy to be convinced that a spot of nostalgia is no bad thing. Whereas bands such as the Rapture and Radio 4 resurrect the darker side of post-punk, this north London duo--comprising multi-instrumentalists Rupert Lyddon and Lawrence Rudd--hail back to the genre's more tuneful outfits: think less the abstruse death disco of PiL, and more the melancholy neo-pop melodics of XTC, the Police, and Talk Talk. Still, this is no out-and-out retro piece. Grand National's main skill lies in their ability to twin their fine songs to tight electronic productions, striking the perfect midpoint between live organics and cool digital sequencing: hear how "Playing in the Distance" hooks a weighty club beat to robust live bass and shrieking brass, or "Cherry Tree", which builds its sad rock elegy on a foundation of chic disco beats. --Louis Pattison