Conflict Diamonds - Two City Tales

Edinburgh duo Conflict Diamonds' debut album has been a fair while coming, but thankfully it delivers just what we've come to love about their live performances; rhythm, energy and musical economy. Pete Wylde's choppy riffs and odd, intense lyrical flow are thoroughly engaging whilst drummer Kevin Murray's muscular chops and ability to ride the hats like a motherfucker provide the relentlessly propulsive backbone. The most impressive thing about Two City Tales, though, is that it faithfully captures the dynamic interplay between the two players despite its relatively unsophisticated production values. Such relentless riffing and pounding grooves start to feel like something of a double-edged sword as the album progresses however, and a few numbers feel like they adhere too closely to an established formula. But for the most part this is 35 minutes of lean, danceable rock music: no fat, no waste, no fucking about. [Mark Shukla]