The Oakland group Legs has very strong New Zealand roots (group member Matt Bullimore was born there) and it shows in their sound. Pass the Ringo, the group’s debut album, sounds like it could have been released on Flying Nun in 1984 as it has all the hallmarks of a classic Nun release like propulsive rhythms, jangling guitars, burbling organs, and hugely catchy melodies all wrapped in a cotton-y wall of reverb and fuzz so thick you’d need a machete to hack through it. Despite this very nostalgic approach, the band sounds totally up to date as well. Maybe this is due to the on-going artistic value of the Flying Nun sound, maybe it’s down to the energy and joy the band plays and sings with throughout the record. Maybe it’s just that the songs are so damn hooky. Every song on Ringo sounds like a Chills A-side or a Bats album highlight, with even the less memorable songs still sounded better than most noisy indie pop circa 2013. The band gives the Flying Nun formula a twist too by bringing in Amelia Adams in to sing backgrounds and chilly sweet lead on a couple of the best songs here, "Two Colours" and "Time to Face the World." Apart from the awesome Look Blue Go Purple, it was a very male vocal centric scene and it’s nice that Legs buck that bit of history here. They also bring in a little C-86 popcraft, a little smear of shoegaze atmosphere and basically sound like a thrilling combination of all the best kinds of noisy guitar pop of the thirty years leading up to Ringo's release. Perhaps a little bit of variation in the production or the arrangements might have made the record more rounded, but that’s a minor complaint. As it stands, Pass the Ringo is a strong and exciting debut full of great songs and wonderfully ramshackle performances that will leave you breathlessly awaiting their next move.