ANARCHIC street poets or second-rate social commentators? A difficult one to call.

While The Others' modern punk sound and guerilla gigging antics have inspired audience devotion, the lyrics are rubbish at times. Cynics will say frontman Dominic Masters sounds too obvious as he spits out "I don't wanna be a lackey in a job, it doesn't pay".

But what The Others lack in sophistication, they make up in exuberance and the driving basslines and drums on tracks such as Lackey grow in power and sincerity with every listen. Angry and direct, with shades of Joy Division, The Fall and Buzzcocks, and more modern acts The Libertines and Strokes, this is a debut with promise.

Updated: 09:07 Thursday, February 10, 2005