The amusingly mis-spelled Nephu Huzzband have had a busy year or so, playing shows the length and breadth of the UK, from which they managed to eek out their debut album. Not this, but a live recording of a show at Dublin Castle in London, of which they handed out hundreds of free copies to troops serving overseas. It was a move that brought more attention to this frenetic four-piece, adding to that already brought around by numerous BBC6 interviews and live hub sessions. Now, Elementary has come crashing upon a growing fanbase, delivering twelve tracks of ear-pounding yet carefully constructed post-punk.

Comparisons with Joy Division and Sonic Youth are valid here, with the similar sound of morbidly dirty guitars and minor-key riffs underpinning furious vocal rallying cries of “nurse, nurse, come quick!” and “abandon ship!”. However, a greater sense of energy is injected into proceedings by the relentless brilliance of drummer Rob Challinor – I dread to think how many snare drums this guy must break over the course of a just single gig. It is not all power though – proficient displays of musicality are demonstrated as Challinor switches between cymbal work and drum fills, keeping the songs fresh as the guitars continue their grungey assault on your senses.

Vocally, you won’t come away from listening to this album with a catchy melody still swimming through your brain, with rhythmic shouting being the order of the day. However, the energy is infectious, especially on We Speak In Whispers – the hilarity of the lyric “we speak in whispers all the time” being enthusiastically screamed over and over would be a welcome addition to any noisy album.

I imagine seeing Nephu Huzzband at a live show would easily trump anything they could ever lay down on tape, as visceral punk with this amount of verve should be something witnessed first-hand. However, Elementary shows an adept understanding of interesting rhythms to make for a rocking listen.