Certainly, Captain are a strange looking outfit but this can only mean they haven't been assembled as the latest offering from the indie band production line. Their own sound is rather odd too. There are three or four songs here, which could have been lifted from the first Prefab Sprout record thanks largely to lead vocalist Rik Flynn's rich tones, the use of a female backing singer who also happens to be a whizz at the keyboards and a taste for potentially awkward key changes. 'Broke' is a fantastically unusual single, featuring a number of original melodic tangents, which never let the listener feel bored; it's neatly matched by the strident chorus and rock solid chord changes for 'Western High'. Infact, the album as a whole possesses that very rare quality of a debut record: it doesn't rely on a few great songs; there are many strong performers on here, which makes 'This Is Hazelville' am addictive record. Clearly, renowned producer Trevor Horn saw something in this group too as it is he who took the band under his wing; making this a typically brash and colourful album but without ever glossing over the old-fashioned songwriting skills of the band members.