Noisettes
I-WE

It's strange to think that this is Noisettes’ debut single as it feels as if their name has been bandied about for ages – perhaps because of their reportedly incendiary live show, honed last year supporting fashionable types such as Bloc Party and the Kills. Much has been made of frontwoman Shingai’s star quality – often, you suspect, by male journalists – but whatever it is she does have, it comes across in spades here.

With a voice that sounds like Roisin Murphy possessed by devils and a band who have a perfect grip on seductive, dramatic scuzz guitar, I-WE (pronounced you-eh, it would seem) sounds at times like it could fit on Live Through This, but is never less than captivating; indeed, you’re left hanging on every word. It’s intelligent indie that doesn’t subscribe to the Gang-of-Four-isms that were all you needed to be called clever last year and it’s also undeniably thrilling.

Like a cat with a mouse Malice in Wonderland is a tad more playful but loses none of the scare factor, while Angry Angels does away with the distortion for a melancholy vocal workout showing that, y’know, they can do slowies as well. All in all a hell of a debut; they may not outsell some of the more hyped bands this year but if the album can live up to this early promise they’ll certainly be talked about for longer.