he fact that Epitaph decided to go out on a limb and pick up this band is really quite admirable. Chat and Business sounds nothing like the bands on the label’s roster, giving it a touch of punk from kids who met in art school instead of a skate park or a hardcore show.

Originally released on Fantastic Plastic in the UK, Chat and Business is now seeing its well deserved North American release. It’s hard to believe that this record is even out considering the band only started playing seriously last year. Within a year, they recorded a demo, released two singles and an album. And you thought The Strokes were magicians.

Ikara Colt are part of a new rock revolution. But not the one you’re thinking of. They are part of a British scene with no name, along with noisesters like The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Parkinsons and The Beatings, channelling legends like the Fall, Sonic Youth and Pixies. Frankly, this group is even more exciting than Sweden, New York and Detroit. No, seriously.

Chat and Business is a mélange of stripped-down noise led by sharp guitars, socially conscious lyrics and a lot of attitude. It has some extremely raw production, giving it a wonderful tinny quality to it. Most of the time this approach sounds like shit, but producer Loucas Antoniades has captured the band’s tough, biting sound and not tampered with it much. The energy the band packs into their songs is unbelievable. Jon Ball thumps away on his bass at a manic pace, like he’s trying to out do the creative and blistering drumming of Dominic Young. The two alone can take your attention away from the enticing vocals of Paul Resende. Sounding like a cross between the blasé Thurston Moore and the ridiculous Mark E. Smith, Resende seems to keep his composure even when he screams.

The way “One Note” starts things off, with a series of convulsions on the drums and bass, is a brilliant way to get an album going. Since Ikara Colt doesn’t know when to quit, Chat and Business fails to contain a dull moment. “Sink Venice”, “Rudd”, “Pop Group” – they’re all beautiful rackets. And if you don’t give up on “Video Clip Show”, the final track, a hidden gem, “Escalate”, will show up, delivering the most brutal bundle of noise on the album. It’s well worth the patience.