Bloc Party : She's Hearing Voices

Bloc Party are four bookish men with lank fringes who look they could do with a hot pie and come from east London - not the bit where the web design companies and swank bars with reductive names ('Drink', 'Bar', 'Booze') are, but the knackered part where homeless people sell busted second hand shoes from blankets on the pavement for 20 pence. Anyway, galvinised by the post-punk/punk-funk revival, their first single mashes together The Cure, Gang Of Four, Sonic Youth and Joy Division in a jerky yelpfest. Bloc Party is a borderline terrible name (but far better than when they were called The Angel Range) and there's a section on their band website labelled 'Discourse' where they talk very very seriously about ART and MUSIC and CULCHA in the manner of the early Manics, but hey, at least they care. So yeah. Another week, another great single from a new band. We're as confused and pleased as you.

Pat Long