Rhodri Daniel knows his new wave. And he knows a whole lot more, too. "Heddlu" is the Welsh word for "police", though Daniel uses it more for its literal Welsh meaning of "peace force". The songs here are in Welsh and English (with the odd instrumental bit now and again), and they blister and bash their way around an apocalyptic notion of post-punk electronics.

Heddlu Cantref (self-released)

That is, the synthesizers are used extravagantly, even on such primal bashers as "Locker" (which is almost 'Mats-like in its anarchic sensibility). Daniel's voice is a bit thin, but it's produced in such a way that it reminds me of any number of Brit-pop acts of the 90s. When electronic music cooks like this, all the vocals have to do is hit the notes and sound human. Daniel does that and more.

The star is the music, though. These pieces are wonders of arrangement, with a dizzying array of sounds and references. The hooks are tight, but they catch in sly ways. Despite the over-the-top presentation, these songs are often subtly brilliant.

Don't settle in, because it feels like one of Daniel's main intentions is to subvert expectation. Yes, this is new wave. Yes, this is alterna-rock (insert your word for that as you like). Yes, this is something modern and occasionally experimental. Everything is apparent, and nothing is quite as it seems. Heddlu is the debut of something truly exciting.

Jon Worley