Aww, husband & wife bands, don't ya just love 'em? Following in the footsteps of Inertia, Brainclaw & Santa Hates You, the Swiss couple of Steve & Eva Hug are the latest pair to put the case for musica l as well as holy matrimony. Although this is the first Cosmic Intent release Steve is an experienced musician with a discography stretching    back some 24 years as well as founding the Technosaurus synth  company; in that time, he's worked with a variety of electronic music styles from synthpop to rhythmic instrumental music & this experience    shines through on this synthpop album through the use of a wide variety of sounds thoughtful arrangements & imaginative compositions with Eva's e-bass work providing a tangible human element, enriching the infectious properties of such tracks as 'Love The Machines' which benefits from a nice combination of vocodered & human vocals & 'We    Are', which starts off in a cheerful old skool manner before changing tack towards the end &  going for a more downbeat feel with some fine  piano work setting the mood. All the while Steve's complex     melodics add another piece to the duo's musical jigsaw, meaning that the album is not only instantly infectious but rewards deeper listening throughout, a factor that is as much the case on such instrumental tracks as the  rhythmic yet spacey 'Bioelectric Fields' (which appeared on  the 1999 Organics album but sounds completely at home here) & the appropriately organic-sounding 'Preserve The Rainforest', where  Eva's e-bass work really comes into its own, as is is on the vocal tracks such as 'Space Crusaders'  & the superb 'Roboter Love' which features an excellent mix of Eva's vocodered voice (she also co-wrote this track)  & more superb synth work. This track definately shows the duo at their best &, besides, the story of two robots sharing a tender moment in a scrapyard is surely the kind of offbeat thinking that anyone should respect! As the album progresses, 'Another Tale' & 'Undulating Ways' both provide further listening satisfaction, as does the catchy title track & while the light & bouncey 'There's Enough For All' slightly overdoes the 'niceness' factor a tad the slower 'Right Now' more than compensates for this with its genuinely uplifting chorus. So, by the power invested in me as Hard Wired Reviewer I now declare Mr & Mrs Hug's album to be a triumph that synthpoppers will not want to miss! So, big Hugs (geddit?) due all round, if you ask me!