S/T review : Fake Names the real deal on life-affirming punk record

The demo was so good it became the actual album - with that kind of romance Fake Names could make anyone feel 17 again. And having gloriously soundtracked that certain age in other groups, they couldn't have convened at a more important time to put hope back in the headphones.

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Between them, the people on this gem have made some of the most important punk and hardcore works of all time, including Minor Threat's Out of Step (guitarist Brian Baker), Dag Nasty's Can I Say? (Baker again), Embrace's self-titled emo blueprint (guitarist Michael Hampton) and Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come (singer Dennis Lyxzén).

Together with bassist Johnny Temple (Soul Side, Girls Against Boys) and roped-in drummer pal Matt Schulz, Baker, Hampton and Lyxzén have put together a debut that deserves its place alongside those playlist classics. It's a filler-free 28 minutes of hooks and heart that never gets stuck in nostalgia or falls in on itself in a bid to be relevant.

In the best sense, Fake Names sound like a young band, and given the way the magic has flowed, this can't be a one-off. Choosing a favourite song proves the nicest of dilemmas, moving on to listen to something else is tougher still.