!!! Chk Chik Chick

Doesn't the beginning of "The Step" sound like Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell"? Maybe. It does for a tic anyway, before vocalist Nic Offer starts emoting all cool over eight layers of bass, spidery guitar, horns, and drums that wait patiently for the break. And when that break finally arrives, it falls out of the verse like Franzia from silver Mylar. Party time, baby! Let's keep it going with the bass groove of "Hammerhead," or "KooKooKa Fuk-U"'s chattering cool-part-of-town disco. On this, their self-titled debut for Gold Standard Laboratories, !!! trash the axiom that says bands influenced by angular post-punk must be populated by dour misanthropes who sport wallet photos of Ian Curtis. "If you're looking for a friend/You can kiss my ass!" Offer declares on "KooKooKa Fuk-U," and encourages suicide for — wait for it — someone else. Speaking of axioms, "There's No F*****g Rules, Dude" is !!!'s. The cut sounds like the meat of the Clash's "Straight to Hell" mixed with Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and dropped on to an indie rock bun; it makes a tasty sandwich for Radio 4 fans. Highly recommended.