He, Mr Lead Vocalist, was crawling along the bar with a megaphone. I forget the sound – air-raid siren or guttural scream – but it did feel explosive. Course, I thought he was a wanker immediately, being the snobby fuck that I am, down in a dingy basement club for The Hunches being forced to watch some north-eastern kiddies play R’n’R full of spunk and booze. Give a fuck – get to the set-my-soul-on-fire motherfuckers already. Yet once the night’s din had dimmed that first impression remained, so hope gushed forth freely when placing this disc into the tray primed for ‘play’.

Hope died a boredom-induced death three tracks in.

The Sound Explosion are an exciting live band. I know, I saw, I bore the brunt of tinnitus for three days. The Sound Explosion is a dull record. I know, I heard, I found myself scrambling for something, anything else to inject a little life into my lounge. Arab Strap? Fuck it, why not. Yeah, some tracks on this debut are worthy of a nonchalant swagger around your sitting room – ‘Looking At You’ has the live experience flooding back – but so much of this is so so what, y’know? It’s just so… so… meh.

Raucous cheap kicks and youthful high jinks await easily pleased ears here, but those wanting substance or, damnit, a little fucking soul are advised to keep the pennies safe for another’s wares.