>Some bands, as we know, make records that are documentation of their live shows, and others perform live shows that are attempts at recreating their records. Neither is inferior – just an indicator of the band’s core ethos. So are Today’s New Band better live or on record?

That might depend on your idea of ‘better’, of course. Male Bonding make records that are a delicate balance between generic thrash (headbanging live gigs) and obtuse guitar weirdness (chin-stroking live gigs), and in doing so, create music that lives in its own space that is better than both.

Pumpkin shoots a dart to the centre of the male desire for rowdy singing, with a bludgeoning chorus that’s a cross between a football crowd celebrating a goal and cute 60’s surf-pop, all drowned in the white noise of a battle between guitar and cymbals.

Years Not Long is a headlong rush into similar territory; raw, powerful and jumpy sounds are caressed by lyricism that’s both gentle in intent and brutal in execution.

Male Bonding have an appropriate name. They love noise, energy and VICTORY. Their songs are just that. They don’t need to be anything else. Great. Listen here!