There are some debut albums that you’ll either love or hate based just on the press release. Love Inks are a minimalist three-piece from Austin, Texas. The vocals lie over a guitar, a bass, beats from an old drum machine and the occasional big of Moog. They recorded E.S.P. onto an eight-track reel-to-reel at the home of front-woman Sherry LeBlanc using the simplest set-up possible in an effort to get the purest sound. LeBlanc is married to the bass player, the guitarist is an old friend of theirs and the album was mixed by another friend. The story is so perfect you’d almost want to write them off before listening.

When we did listen, what struck us was the amazing warmth that they’ve captured. The guitar and bass are simple and melodic; the vocals are dreamy and intimate; you can feel the care that went into the recording. The drum machine will bring a wave of nostalgia to anyone who’s ever sat in their bedroom or basement making amateurish loops as a teenager. There’s a childlike feeling to the whole thing which seems to come directly from the band’s desire to keep everything simple and honest.

This isn’t music that’s trying to be challenging by being minimal, instead each separate element is compartmentalised and balanced and does only as much as it has to do to make its contribution. The ten tracks of the album take less than 30 minutes to make their point. There are highs (like the sublime ‘Skeleton Key’) and lows (‘Rock On’ is made redundant by the rest of the album), but as a piece of work E.S.P. shows how taking a strong, simple idea and sticking with it can result in sheer beauty. -Toby Dore-