For so long satirised as a breeding ground for fat slags and Sid the sexists, the North East of England appears to be undergoing something of a resurgence in discovering new musical talent of late.

Take Newcastle four piece The Hype Foundation for example. Far from being sucked into the archetypical art-rock jerk jerk thud thud pop of their forebearers such as The Futureheads and Maximo Park, they offer a tuneful, almost poppy tinge to that old chestnut post-rock, and actually bring it's introverted corpse out smiling from ear to ear at the end.

Opening with 'Just Like Gravity', which kicks in like Bloc Party's 'Like Eating Glass' only to later reveal itself as a Goliath sized soundscape to rival anything Explosions In The Sky have committed to vinyl. Except this has a tune. And a vocal which you can sing along to. Magic.

Meanwhile, on the steadfast 'Red Light', the band find themselves rocking out a la Distophia, sharing vocals in cataclysmic harmony that even regales images of a latterday Bell and Gardener. The highlight of the CD though comes in the beguiling shape of 'Eskimo', a piano led anthem which welcomes the addition of a pulsating tremelo like a best man's speech at a wedding, as a genteel voice beckons "You know, you know, you know, you know you've got it again..." instinctively through the haze.

On this showing, The Hype Foundation could be the purveyors of a new genre - post-tuneless post-rock. Believe the hype or die!