Introducing Coburn. They’re big in Eastern Europe and, indeed, the Far East. However, their popularity is also growing in the US and UK, especially after their track ‘Closer’ appeared on Grey’s Anatomy.

‘Closer’ shows up on this, their debut album. Coburn are DJs/producers/musicians Pete Martin and Tim Healey. Believe it or not, and you’ll incline to the latter after hearing this self-titled offering, they started out as a garage-rock five-piece – although ‘I Get My Kicks’ and ‘Too Drunk To Recall’ provide some clues to their original identity.

Coburn first received attention with their Audio-Bullys-when-they-were-good-esque ‘We Interrupt This Programme’ in 2005. Again, this resurfaces here, as does another collaboration with sarf London shout-out-louders Solid State, ‘Sick’ which also features the vocal talents of rapper Princess Superstar. Rather less impressive is ‘Give Me Love’, a poor man’s update of the track of the near-same name by Donna Summer.

That’s a rare miss on an album full of hits. The likes of a sassy cover version of the Bugsy Malone classic ‘Tallulah’. ‘Razorblade’ also deserves a shout out, as uniting with enchantress Heidrun from Cicada/Gus Gus, Coburn show us, in the words of Healey, “the place where pop and the underground cross over in a credible way.”

Coburn named themselves after Hollywood actor James Coburn. Martin and Healey particularly admired his starring role in Our Man Flint, a parody of James Bond which succeeded in making 007 appear as cool as Mr Bean. By the same token, Coburn diminish the reputation of their competitors on the house/electro scene with this superlative effort. Great stuff, indeed.

(4½/5)