If I told you that Bristol-based duo David Francolini and Anthony Tombling Jr produce moody, electronic music, you could be excused for assuming they were late additions to the local trip-hop scene, including Portishead and Massive Attack. In fact, while I wouldn’t be surprised if they shared some of the same influences, and this album was apparently recorded in the same room as the latter’s seminal Blue Lines, Dragons are a rockier prospect, owing more – sometimes, as on ‘Condition’, perhaps a bit too much – to Joy Division than the aforementioned bands.

With Interpol due to release a third album soon, and Editors on their second, it’s questionable whether we need another band paying such blatant homage to Ian Curtis. After all, what’s the point of trying to better Unknown Pleasures as a debut album anyway? Nonetheless, there’s obviously a market for it, either because younger music fans haven’t discovered past treasures or older ones are looking for something a bit fresher. With Here Are The Roses full of tunes reminiscent of Depeche Mode or New Order, Dragons could be next on the retro-revival bandwagon.

In fairness, Here Are The Roses more than makes up in consistency for what it lacks in originality. There’s a genuine sense of heartache and loss about several songs, and even those that seem to be going through the motions are competently executed. While it’s all been done many times before, and sometimes better, Francolini and Tombling do what they do very well, and fans of miserable electronic rock music should find plenty to appreciate here.

(3½/5)