From the very first bars of Fantasy Black Channel, the youthful vigor of Britain’s Late Of The Pier is obvious. Bursting through the quartet’s debut full-length is a firm understanding of what made the hits of the ’80s so much fun—think Gary Numan and Soft Cell. This is witnessed in the amalgamation of high-energy styles topped by ska bounces, punk sneers and strong rock bite. Mainly, however, it is their electro-rock/synth-pop sensibility fused with inventive and contagious danceable hooks that is making the good-natured jabs of Fantasy Black Channel felt. “The Bears Are Coming” belches through to the carousel swing of “Random Firl.” Elsewhere, the body shaking of “Space and The Woods” is balanced by the rapid rolls of “Heartbeat.” And the bleeps of “The Enemy Are The Future” temper the grinding crunches of “Whitesnake.” There isn’t a genre Pier hasn’t plundered from, but with their unfailing exuberance, it works. (Lily Moayeri)