The Minutes

Marcata Model Citizen***

Having spent years honing their line-up and sound, it was high time The Minutes released their debut album. With one foot planted in the raw power of garage rock and the other lodged somewhere between Stooges-style punk and Kings of Leon's hokey blues shtick, it's safe to say there are more references than revolutionary points of note on Marcata.

Mark Austin's pinched holler becomes a little galling over 12 songs, and the inclusion of samey instrumental interludes seems slightly pointless. Yet the burnished rollick of Fleetwood is entrancing, Black Keysplucks a page from QOTSA's Guide to Grizzled Riffs, and Secret Historyis a shock to the system. It's an exhausting listen in one sitting, but Marcata's unrelenting pace will appeal to those with a penchant for strident, scuzzy tunes and skinny jeans. See theminutesmusic.com

Download tracks: Fleetwood, Secret History