Down from Newcastle in a cloud of glitter, brain, lip and chorus, Kenickie were the brightest thing 1997 had to offer--no great claim in the year the Verve sulked up the charts with their long-faced man balladry, but still, Kenickie would have given the Ronettes a run for their money if they'd been around. Although everyone was too busy at the time swooning over lead-singer Lauren Laverne's ability to have blonde hair and one of the sharpest tongues in music; she was actually showing signs of being able to write songs that would break brittle hearts in two. "Millionaire Sweeper"--all Pavement guitars and teen-rush rainy heartbreak--sounds like the young Kirsty MacColl; while "I Never Complain" sounds like Kurt Cobain seeking shelter in the Go-Gos. And there's always the spunky star-dazzle of "Punka", "Nightlife" and "In Your Car" for going mental to. --Caitlin Moran
