Sons And Daughters

Indie rock is often polarised between maudlin whine-rock and embarrassing attempts at quirk, with not a lot of in between. So begins the stereotype that indie rockers are either abject whiners or sprightly nerds, with neither a rational thought in their brains or a partying gene in their DNA. Sons and Daughters, with the release of their smoldering hot but all-too-brief Love The Cup EP, shot down these preconceptions with an artillery of scalding licks, deranged marching beats and traded-off, sexed-up male and female vocal attacks. Love the Cup was superb but left a hoard of charred, dishevelled civilians in its wake, hollering for more. And now there is more, by way of the band's first full length. It's both a reintroduction for people who may have missed them the first time around and a vicious wallop for those who've been missing Sons and Daughters' exquisite brand of rock'n'roll. The Repulsion Box is more ambitious than the EP — the production is slicker, and while Love the Cup stirred up a riot over the course of each song, this album is frenetic from the first note. This one is designed to expand Sons and Daughters' fan base, which may alienate older fans at first. But it's the same material, in double-speed, and Sons and Daughters deserve all the attention they can get. As sophisticated as they are throttling and raucous, as good-natured as they are flagrant, Sons and Daughters simply get it right.