Raggle-taggle art-pop bands hoping to make our wintry lives warmer are currently ten-a-penny. Thankfully, the Young Republic are lovelier than most. Rattling towards us from a Boston music college with their flutes, violins, pianos, pedal steel and African drums, the eight members make a rich, pretty noise that brings together Belle & Sebastian's gift for melody, the Modern Lovers' brightness, plus cheeky bits of vaudeville and baroque pop. Julian Saporiti's fine, characterful voice stitches everything together. However, the choral joy of She's Not Waiting Here This Time and the energetic rush of Paper Ships are the only things that lodge in the memory. There are too many ideas here, at the expense of strong songs.