ERIK NERVOUS AND THE BETA BLOCKERS - s/t LP

Erik’s joined by The Beta Blockers, and the sound they concoct together is utterly magical. OK, when this self-titled LP comes rattling out of the gate with 90-second barnstormer ‘Violent Dreams,’ you may suspect it’s just an amplified version of the old stuff, albeit with a full band... wrong! Gravure sees ‘em tinkering with an angular skronk-funk that tilts an ear towards yer Minutemen, yer Bogsheds, yer Andy Gills (while ensuring both feet are firmly cemented to as many dumbass hardcore punk records as possible).

The thoroughly unexpected ‘Blasted Heath’ brings synths to the foreground in masterly fashion, while the mutant dub of ‘Want To Not Wanna’ feels like a dust-up in a muddy puddle with an ashen-faced Pere Ubu.