Battery Face – Addams Family Values

Battery Face apparently recorded their debut album in less than six hours but then spent six months mixing it, stubbornly refusing to let any professional producer touch it along the way. This single-minded dedication has undoubtedly paid off – the Glasgow-based three-piece have created a singular sound of their very own at the first attempt. If anyone, Addams Family Values sounds like a proto-Can jamming in a basement while being secretly recorded in the next room. The vocals are buried deep in the mire, the drums thunderous yet distant.

Each track takes its name from an Addams family member, a humorous touch on what transpires to be a very fun album. No track here is longer than three and a half minutes, and just as you begin to breathe in time to the music, the song comes to a juddering halt. This rough-hewn approach to recording may prove divisive at first – there are no pop hooks or sing-a-longs here – but give it time and you'll find that Battery Face have produced an exhilarating listening experience. [Chris McCall]