NINE years after their first gig and a couple of years since these tracks were recorded and mixed, Edinburgh band Plastic Animals finally release their debut album, Pictures From The Blackout, on February 8. That’s a lot of faith shown by local record label Song, By Toad.

The band describe themselves, somewhat reluctantly, as “atmospheric punk rock sludge”. However, on the evidence of the nine songs here, there’s something of krautrock in the metronomic forward drive of the beats, as well as a clash of 1980s UK shoegaze and 90s US grunge in the way the rough edges of the twin guitars rub against each other.

Rumour has it the hold-up before release came down to discussions over tracklisting. If so, they’ve got it right: the album builds momentum, hits a tuneful patch in the middle with shorter songs, and is at its best when mining everything available from the longer grooves. Pictures From The Blackout is launched at the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh tomorrow.