This self-titled debut is a mix of fuzz and grime and sing-along fun, and a good representation of what the band sounds like live. I described Thee Rum Coves to a friend the other day as ‘The Datsuns but without the ’70s long-hair stuff – the riffs and leather jacket side of The Datsuns’. Add in Stiff Little Fingers and ’50s rock’n’roll and set it all in the kind of bar that has a pool table and motorcycles parked outside, and we’re maybe getting somewhere. The four-piece consists of Jake Harding on vocals and guitar, Jono Goss drums and percussion, Tomas Marin on guitar and Ryan Alderton covering bass plus vocals. Additional vocals are provided by Kendall Elise and Jimmy Christmas (who also plays bass on Baby Please). The album was written by the band, recorded by Bob Frisbee, who also produced it with Jake Harding, and mastered by Chris Chetland. It’s a solid production that doesn’t sacrifice energy for polish. Harding and Christmas are D4 alumni and there’s definitely a crossover between that band’s version of garage rock and this. Thee Rum Coves aren’t just a carry-on of the D4’s sound though – while there’s a similarity in the fuzzy guitars and high-energy delivery, they bring in a soul influence that makes their music their own. Overall this is a consistently raucous album, and a great soundtrack to rowdy house parties or the tattoo booth at a hot-rod convention.