Los Angeles quintet DML's third album makes it hard to guess that two-fifths of the band (vocalist/guitarist Tim Presley and vocalist/bassist Rob Barbato) once served time in Mark E Smith's Fall. The predominant influences here are the Beatles' Revolver, the Byrds' Notorious Byrd Brothers and a haze of post-1967, west coast psychedelia as pungent as the activities they appear to be indulging in on the inner sleeve. Nor would you immediately know that they had metamorphosed from a Loop-type drone band. However, Mark E Smith would surely approve of their tautness and musical mischief. Backseat gives country rock a driving, trucking feel and sneaks in a Status Quo riff. 18th Street Shuffle starts off like Abba's Waterloo. New America's middle eight is reminiscent of – of all things – The Boy from New York City by 70s doo-wop revivalists Darts. Familiarity is both Alive As You Are's strength and its main failing, but there are enough acid-soaked pop hooks of their own to last the summer.