Black Rays Defence

Though first emerging in the same wave of Brit garage bands as The Libertines, The Beat Up (formerly known as The Beatings) have only now gotten around to releasing their debut.

This may or may not have something to do with the fact that Black Rays Defence is produced by My Bloody Valentine’s famously perfectionist Kevin Shields, although The Beat Up’s scuzzy full throttle rock‘n’roll is more reminiscent of Shields’ current band Primal Scream.

The likes of ‘Messed Up’ and ‘The Flame’ come on like aural adrenaline shots, but in truth there’s not much here that we haven’t heard before.