Brookside, The Beatles, Anfield. One can’t bring any of these institutions to mind without thinking of their home city, Liverpool. The same is true of new las on the block, spasmodic indie rockers The Wombats.

It’s not only their strong Scouse accents, although opener ‘Tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials’ would appear to be an improvised addition to a Merseyside production of Grease. There’s the quick-fire wit synonymous with the city (look, just try and forget Jimmy Tarbuck and Stan Boardman ever existed, will you?), particularly evident on second single ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’. Allied to killer one-liners sprinkled throughout this debut album, including “like Ollie Reed on an Irish stag do” as featured in ‘Little Miss Pipedream’.

Only signing to 14^th Floor Records in June, The Wombats have since completed a 53-date headline tour. As well as co-headlining a series of gigs with The Holloways. So, 2007 has already proved to be a year to remember for the Scouse trio, and, what’s more, their Guide shows they’ve got the staying power to subsist beyond the hype.

(4/5)