This is one of the purest, most scintillating power pop platters to grace our mailbox in a long time.

From its hilarious cover spoof of the Beatles' UK version of Help (here the four lads appear, against a white background, as ordinary office drones, cell phones and trade mags in hand), to the high quality, jangle-pop literacy within, this British quartet pretty much have it all. Led by singer/guitarist Gary Ford, Semion turned many heads with their Get a Grip EP a while back, but this Rickenbacker-and harmony feast, sharp and focused, chock-full of moody, melodic hooks, catapults them into the frontline.

You might want to start with the Replacements-meet-Teenage-Fanclub whoosh of "Year of the Monkee," a goose-bump inducing slice of pop nirvana with a heavenly guitar break. Then again "Black Cloud," reminiscent of prime '60s Kinks even as the lyrics allude to Big Star, is fine in its own right.

"Liverpool Sunset" and "Transmission" are a bit more brooding, but find an unforgettable groove nonetheless. A winner, and a band to watch. - Luke Torn

"Transmission" also features on the cover-mounted CD with the following mini-review:"Perhaps the purest, most scintillating power pop platter since Teenage Fanclub jumped the wagon, Semion is high quality, jangle-pop, Rickenbacker-and-harmony feast. Give "Transmission" about a play and half, and it'll have you in its craw. "