Tipped by the music press as the first real stars of 2003, The Kills are a Transatlantic, boy-girl duo who specialise in an exceptionally raw brand of sleazy rock 'n' roll. Their debut album captures them in all their ragged glory, a heady mixture of roughed-up soul and odes to hedonism, all delivered with a deliciously sly sense of humour. And while it all owes a fairly obvious debt to the Velvet Underground, The Kills (aka Hotel and W) have more than enough personality of their own to transcend their influences comfortably. Sure, the style is greater than the substance and the lyrics often amount to little more than juvenile slogans. But the gutsy duo have that most precious of commodities: charisma - and it carries them through their dodgier moments with consummate ease. They may well seem a bit dated in a year's time, but for now, The Kills are the sensation of the moment - and they more than deserve it.
