Spluttering and charging out of the blocks like a melodic version of The Bronx (band, not place), the youthful Emanuel slam down this fantastically gritty debut album. Inspired by one crap year, pretty boy singer Matt Breen emos his way to the front of each song with aplomb. Imagine: if he'd just kept saying, "Shit happens...bygones," there would be none of this. Lucky he bottled stuff up and got all angry and good at guitar.

It's not just your usual NY/NJ/CA emoxpunk nonsense, however. Hailing from Kentucky at a combined weight of probably not too much over 600lbs, there are massive hints and nods at 70s classic rock and, of course, 90s grunge. As a result all the songs are massive riff-laden catchy rock fantasies complete with hand-claps. You dream of the day you can write a chorus as memorable and hard rocking as this. Fact: not gonna happen. It takes something and someone special. *Emanuel *is it.