As The Revs make clear on their irresistibly-titled song 'Louis Walsh', they're not exactly great fans of the current manufactured pop scene. Not surprising, then, that this youthful punk outfit have been building the career the old-fashioned way, touring the country relentlessly and winning a loyal fanbase with their cheeky, good-humoured brand of punchy power-pop. For their debut album the Donegal trio have chosen to keep it real, recording their live set in front of an audience in Dublin's Temple Bar Music Centre. The result is a record that's certainly a bit rough around the edges but is also bursting with the energy that so many punk bands lose in the studio. The Revs' songs tend to be on the basic side (not unlike the early Undertones) and at times they sound just a bit too juvenile for their own good. For the most part, however, Sonic Tonic is an enjoyable blast of teenage enthusiasm, with not a hint of cynicism or corporate calculation in sight.

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