A somewhat derivative style, but outstanding songs

This rather individual band might not be furrowing an entirely original path, but they are certainly more idiosyncratic than most. Their only previous album was launched on the legendary Revelations label, and on the strength of this, I’m going to seek it out. With a dissonant, bouncy style developed from the cues of Girls Against Boys, Fugazi and their common predecessor band One Last Wish, “You Are Beneath Me” starts off with a barked set of instructions that almost sounds like a manifesto. The tracks that follow may indeed share a good deal of common ground with Guy Piccotto’s back catalogue, in particular, but they just about match him punch for punch, which is a hell of a lot more than you can say for most bands who attempt this style. This is a brilliantly-crafted album full of biting riffs, discordant deliciosity and an overall instant-classic feel. There’s no buts about it – if you like any of the aforementioned names you should seek this out at once. It’s the kind of record that renews your faith in the fact that sometimes, even when divorced in time and space from the movement that spawned their style, occasionally someone will come out with a record which matches up to the original inspirations in content and delivery.

EDDIE THOMAS