The first full-length offering from London’s The Noisettes is a taut distillation of their astonishing raw live power. The band have been likened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and while the comparison holds some water, they shouldn’t be dismissed as mere copyists.
Opener ‘Don’t Give Up’ combines the Pixies’ knack for an abrasive melody with the Stooges’ do-or-die directness. Chafing against restraint, it’s a defiant anti-authoritarian number.
Next comes ‘Scratch Your Name’, a glam-punk rocker that displays some dextrous Tom Verlaine-esque guitar licks.
It’s not all gazing at foreign shores though with ‘Bridge To Canada’ and ‘Cannot Even (Break Free)’ exuding a Zep-like heaviness, and ‘IWE’s slyly inventive guitar nodding at the Gang Of Four.
The star of the show is Amazonian singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa who, like PJ Harvey and Bjork, is able to go from a seductive murmur to an alarming snarl in the same breath.
Stand back as The Noisettes unleash their dark majesty.