Despite the overbearing insistence of reality TV music shows (cheap to produce and present, but not truly the source of major league performers, Leona Lewis and Will Young notwithstanding) and the disappearance of the much-loved ‘Top of the Pops’, there is a plethora of exciting new artistes and singer-songwriters about at the moment and one group of which I had not heard until unpeeling the preview disc was Buffalo 77.

Its new album, ‘Memento’, is a hugely appealing power pop construction of Leicester-originated trio, James Leighton (vocals and guitars) and brothers Graham (keyboards and backing vocals) and Pete Ange (drums). There is nothing wrong with Leicester, the town having produced Family (Roger Chapman on vibrato vocals) in the late-1960s and more recently Kasabian.

Leighton’s vocal talents are baritonal and soporific, when he drifts into the quieter and more reflective numbers, while his voice translates well into the rockier sounds that also populate this fine 11-track debut album. With jolly good reason, Buffalo 77 has been receiving some very good reviews around the country, an impressive factor, when you consider that the band has only been playing together since slightly more than twelve months ago. It has always been my contention that family members can make great harmonies and it is abundantly clear that the Ange brothers perform ably in that role.

There have been some comparisons between this band and Coldplay, which I would personally take as a minor insult, as Coldplay, despite its ’best-seller’ tag, has seldom sounded as sonorous as Buffalo 77, for which I believe major fame is just around the next corner. While there are no ‘monster stadium pleasers’ resident on ‘Memento’, it is clear that with some broader experiences and a shot of bravado, this is one band that might divert momentarily from competent balladry into statement rock and I would like to be present, when it cracks that important nut!