Psycho Kiss - 'Monkeying Around' (Psychic Cliff) 4/5

Neath outfit Psycho Kiss are yet another outfit from the seemingly endless line of hellishly talented Welsh rock bands that are exploding from the land of song at the moment, and just like The Bambi Killers, The Effect, Anterior, Betty Swallaux, V0iD, The Dirty Youth and all the others once again they are upholding the very high standard we have come to expect from the thriving Welsh rock scene. Apparently the band have been around for a few years and have built a solid reputation and a fair following through solid gigging before releasing this their debut album.

There are ten cuts on offer here, each a sweet little gem of a number, that ranges in style from the dark and brooding ballad of Little Man via groove rock numbers like Monkeying Around and huge stadium rock anthems like No Good Pretending to balls out rockers like This Is Love.

Helen Ceri Clarke's vocals are to die for, I don't think Wales has produced a female rock vocalist of this caliber since Catrin Southall of the legendary SAL; there is power and melody here with a touch of the old Janice Joplins, and none of the operatic shriek many female rock singers inflict on us.Add in some fine performances from the rest of the band, especially some tasty lead work from g-man Paul O'Brien, and you have in this album a real gem of a debut release that should open doors for them way beyond the Valleys.

Well worth checking out.

For fans of... SAL, The Dirty Youth, Obsessive Compulsive, Rock In Your Pocket.....