MAXIMO PARK
A Certain Trigger Warp
****

This hugely impressive debut from a hitherto unknown Newcastle band evokes all the fire and fury of The Jam when they were at their most belligerent. This is power punk that bristles with "4 Real" intent. The group is fronted by Paul Smith, who could double in his vocal delivery as Jarvis Cocker's really pissed off, snarly twin. What Maximo Park share with Pulp is that same north of England, chip on the shoulder sense of cultural isolation. The songs are all taut and tetchy, with Graffiti and Apply Some Pressure displaying a frenetic urgency.

Totally out of place on the Warp label - more used to noodly electro headcases - Maximo Park have taken from The Kinks and The Smiths in their archly observed lyrics of banal Englishness and added on an extra layer of fury just for good measure. Produced by the same name behind their near neighbours, The Futureheads, there's a bit of U2's Boy to A Certain Trigger, but only in the sense of a band smouldering with ambition while still trying to fashion their own sound. Its appeal lies in its directness and complete lack of contrivance. Honest to god, white-bread indie rock it may be, but when it's as fast, furious as this, who's complaining?

What interests most here is that Maximo Park are not trying to do a Franz Ferdinand/Bloc Party by subtly retreading previous rock glories to satisfy a current trend. Rather, this is an earthy and absorbing counterpoint to the new art-rock brigade that doesn't do "angular". No scenic route here, then - Maximo Park are taking the Route 1 approach road. Dig it. www.maximopark.com