Yes, they may have a rather uninspiring name. Yes, they may have drawn comparisons to bands like The Jam, The Specials and The Libertines, and they seem rather oddly pigeonholed next to the aptly named Ordinary Boys. Yet, Repeated Offender is proof positive that The Rifles are a cut above your average spiky guitar band.
The band have teamed up again with Ian Broudie, and his muscular production brings to mind his work with The Subways. An infectious guitar riff powers the song along nicely, as singer Joel Stoker tells the tale of a friend who can't handle his alcohol: "Now don't you pretend when you wake in the morning/ you're lying to yourself it won't happen again".
It's got bags of energy and Broudie is savvy enough to leave a raw edge on the production, making it sound authentically scuzzy. It all makes one rather keen to hear the album, which is shaping up to be one of the more promising listens of the year.
