DESPITE this album being recorded in lead singer Hutch Harris's kitchen at a cost of only $60, it is deservedly turning heads. Oregon four-piece The Thermals make The White Stripes look extravagant.

The dog rough, distorted sound gives it an energy and edge some bands spend thousands trying to create in a posh studio. The punchy two-minute garage pop punk tracks leave you dizzy and breathless. Opener It's Trivia sounds like early Idlewild when they shouted, while Brace And Break is driving and frenzied. Harris snarls and spits through spiky punk track Overgrown, Overblown! but also hints at a tender side on Back To Gray in which he calms things down ever so slightly. While many of the tracks sound similar, The Thermals' assurance bodes well for the future. But what can they cook up out of the kitchen?

Updated: 11:03 Thursday, June 26, 2003