When Bloc Party [ tickets ]'s debut opens with singer/guitarist Kele Okereke singing, "It's so cold in this house," his voice immediately tells you that he wants to do something about it. And, with help from the rest of the band, the heat is turned up.

Spanning several genres made famous by their English heroes--like The Cure, Gang of Four and The Pixies--the London quartet delivers one of the best debut records so far this year. It�s a collection of songs that energize the listener from start to finish with fast, percussive, art-punk fused with moments of atmospheric intensity.

Whether it�s songs with dark lyrics like opening track "Like Eating Glass," the expressive guitar hooks in "Banquet" or the added glockenspiel in "Blue Light," what uniquely makes Bloc Party stand apart from contemporaries like Franz Ferdinand and The Futureheads is the excellent layering of expressive pop hooks, wall-of sound guitars and sharp, fast drumming.