Old school pop rock i.e. tracks less than three minutes.

Vaz Malik

Brakes are a bunch of mates who are no strangers to the music scene having played with the likes of British Sea Power and Electric Soft Parade.

But Give Blood is no drunk in a pub, let's cut a disc kind of CD (although that's pretty much their story - the album being laid down in just five of days). For all the seeming frivolity it's 16 tracks of hooks and riffs (even if some songs don't quite make ten seconds!)

In an age of albums sprawling well beyond the hour mark how refreshing to report a CD that clocks in below thirty minutes. Never mind the three-minute single, these songs struggle to make two.

From the sound of the Thrills to the manic rush of an adrenalised Ramones (the 7 second thrash that is Cheney) Brakes leave you wanting more.

And we've not even talked about their classy cover of Jackson featuring Duke Spirit's Liela Moss!

i-Pod: NY Pie
Label: Rough Trade
Rating: 4/5