After tempting us with explosive riffola-flavoured singles for the past several months, Sunderland's Kenickie now treat us to the full product. "At The Club" contains all those gorge and groovy singles and more, each track filled with glittering energy, spiky punk(a) passion and intelligent and clever lyrics. It also has more than a few surprises in store...

Firstly, the singles: they're all here. The blistering varnished claws of "Punka", the Spectoresque swoonarama that is "Millionaire Sweeper", LP-opener "In Your Car" with it's insanely catchy chorus of "yeah-yeah-yeahs" and the recent anthem for the common teenager "Nightlife". Surrounding these gems are the new songs. "People We Want" is a gloriously doomed track, with its surprising mature "this life is taking too long" refrain. An updated Spectoresque girl group number, it paves the way for the treats that lie ahead. "How I Was Made" is one such gem, a Hole-like lyrically dark and unsettling track that sees Lauren listing the various things that went towards creating her - sugar and spice most definitely not included. Songs such as this and "People We Want" show an incredibly mature side to Kenickie - incredible cos they're so damned young. You would expect them to be singing about getting pissed on alcopops and snogging, not dealing with bleak and existential philosophy. This is reinforced even more by the next track "Brother John", revolving around the hookline "I think that everyone looks better when they're sad". Intense to say the least, and - after the singles like "Punka" and "Nightlife" - surprising. It is however a most welcome side to Kenickie - songs like "How I Was Made" are simply superb.

Which is not to say Kenickie are some gloomy Manics wannabe band. The singles, plus "Classy", "P.V.C." and "Come Out 2Nite" are all lightweight pop punk rushes to the head, all dealing with the themes of going out, having fun, then coming home in the early hours of the morning with stains on your clothes. But at least half of "At The Club" is comprised of maturer, more thought-provoking material, such as the harrowing LP closer "Acetone" with the shattering line "as I spit my dying wish, you're listening to something else". In short, this LP has revealed an unexpected and immensely impressive side to Kenickie - not only can they produce adrenalin-fuelled boptastic tunes, they can also wring out some moving and beautifully affecting music as well. For me at least, this makes them my favourite band of the moment.

And oh yes, they happen to be predominantly female. For some reason this seems to get them treated differently by some sections of the press (Kenickie are NOT the "Indie Spice Girls" - and what about poor old Johnny X??). A band whose members were aliens from Alpha Centurai might deserve a little attention due to that fact, but for a band to gain column inches purely because they are women is soooooo boring - and a little bit distasteful. Kenickie are pure pop punk energy, barbed wire humour and powerful instensity. And that is all that matters.