As always with female fronted bands, the comparisons have come fast and thick, with critics likening Kali Holloway to everyone from Patti Smith to Poly Styrene, Debbie Harry to Ronnie Spector. But why stop there when you can add a youthful Siouxsie Sioux and Fay Fife to the mix, both of whom more accurately reflect Holloway’s vocal style. The Affair certainly musically reflect each of these band’s own obsessions to boot, both the Rezillos giddy love of ’60s pop and the Banshees juttering, anarchic, post-punk sensibilities. “Red and White,” for example, would have fit perfectly on The Scream and beautifully echoes the Banshees proto-goth sound, while “Honey” is the best song the Rezillos never wrote. Still, the Affair are more keyboard driven than either of these bands, which is where Blondie comes into the picture. And certainly numbers like “Fashion Victim” and “Andy” instantly recall the New Yorker’s earliest records. But what to make then of the tinge of Ramones that bops around the guitars, the jagged post-punk rhythms that power so many of their songs, or the crash/bash simplicity of the White Stripes that feed the feel of this whole set? Onscreen it just looks confused, on one’s stereo or iPod it all swirls together perfectly, as the band meld all their influences into big, bouncy, ebulliently infectious pop songs. Cut with sharp lyrics — some firmly tongue in cheek, others deadly serious — and delivered with passion, power, and panache in varying amounts, this is an Affair to be reckoned with. – Jo-Ann Greene