Close to the Heart of Punk

By the time Kenickie frontwoman Lauren Laverne finishes her wry statement of purpose in “Punka,” she makes it quite clear that punk is not about kitsch, copping poses or premeditated amateurism. The members of Kenickie have their own idea of what punk rock is all about and they demonstrate it with irresistible panache on their album debut.

The English quartet boldly mixes and matches aggressive, mod-style melodiousness and a whip-smart sense of humor with a musical attack as raucous and eclectic as it is accomplished. “Robot Song” is an exuberant tribute to electronic dance pop a la New Order, and “Classy” is proof that Kenickie too was born to run in the same soaring (though more roughshod) spirit as the Boss. In the 20-odd years since punk officially began there have been scores of bands truer to the aesthetic details of punk, but few who have been as close to the heart of it.

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