A band’s debut single should sound like a manifesto.

And several plays of The Shimmer Band’s debut single ‘Shoot Me (Baby)’ sounds like a band who have a lot to say. A submarine emerging through the stagnant waters of a January seemingly overrun by Justin Bieber and the horrible realisation that David Bowie isn’t coming back.

The band are Tom Newman (singer), Willz Hatcher (drums), Tom Smith (guitar / synths), Tom Kuras (bass) and Babsy (gui

tar). On this, their debut single they draw on the nihilist electronics of Suicide with the party anthems of Sly and the Family Stone meeting Krautrock and sound like they’ve come to remind Kasabian of how it ought to be done. Is it groundbreaking? No, it’s not – but it sounds like so much bloody fun.

For all I know, the band may burn out within six months or fail to

release anything

of worth to match up to this single. But to paraphrase Casablanca, we’ll always have ‘Shoot Me (Baby).’ Amongst those to have supported the single are 6Music’s Steve Lamacq. Let’s hope it snowballs from here – reportedly their debut album will be out in the spring.