The Strypes: Snapshot

Where to next? The question might seem unfair to throw at teenagers on the point of releasing their debut album. But Cavan's The Strypes have been so rigidly defined by their music and their impressive live shows that it's perhaps the only question worth asking right now. While the novelty of The Strypes was uprooted by an astonishingly intuitive grasp of their instruments, doubts grew surrounding the "what-comes-next?" queries. Unlike, say, Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys, who The Strypes support in October in the UK and Europe (see review left), there's so far no evidence that these lads are rooted in any kind of lyrically evocative reality. Original material (Blue Collar Jane) sound as vice-grip-tight as the covers (including Willie Dixon's You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover). Overall, though, this is the sound of a band having great fun while desperately trying to locate a real voice. thestrypes.com
Download: Perfect Storm, Heart of the City