"Nothing New Ever Works" is the debut album from a Black Country trio who have recently toured with Idlewild. They play a sort of low-fi combo platter that takes in Stereolab (check out the steam-powered synths on opening track "Jun") and Mogwai (the taped conversations on "Montauk" being a dead give-away), as well as the occasional Nick Drake acoustic flourish ("My History Is Valid"). All of which sounds great in theory, but in practice San Lorenzo's potential greatness is scuppered by their inability to write a memorable tune or a lyric that isn't hamstrung by sixth-form pretentiousness. The best thing that can be said about "Nothing New Ever Works" is that it has some great song titles ("For Her Math", "Dead Amps", "American High School Rock Song"), but unfortunately not the great songs they deserve.

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