A band with only a guitarist and a drummer is always going to have a lot to prove - and most of the time they can only do this by being an incredible live act.

So it’s not surprising that Blood Red Shoes completed a sold out tour before their debut album was released in April. It’s even less surprising that although the album boasts some rock punk tunes with heavy beats, it left us thinking less of their influences (the Pixies and PJ Harvey) and more of pop bands such as The Delays and the Subways. Box of Secrets is full of toe-tapping tunes with suitably angst ridden lyrics, but overall it lacks variety. Most of the songs stick to the hard beat and screamy vocals of would-be punk, rather than experimenting with their own take on the formula.

Break the mould it doesn’t but if anything the album makes you want to seek them out live - even if it is just to see if they’re as loud on stage as on the record. (Niki Khoroushi)