Blood Red Sounds are certainly not representative of the music which the Bristol scene is famous for. Indeed, Big Joan are as far away from elegantly crafted trip-hop sounds as you can imagine. Their latest album is an aural assault; the kind of lo-fi punk record that John Peel would play without a moment's hesitation, possibly thinking they were a Japanese band. In actual fact, Big Joan are three quarters British whilst their frontwoman Annette Berlin is - appropriately enough - German. 'Shutter' boasts stop-start rhythms and a vocal which is reminiscent of Altered Images' Claire Grogan in their early post-punk phase whereas over the buzzsawing guitars and distorted visceral energy of 'Tiger' and 'Lenina', Berlin graduates to Siouxsie Sioux's plateau. Musically the group are at their best on the manic pop thrill of 'Tower' and on 'Ablenkung' they even incorporate strings. Proving that beneath the chaotic appearance lurks an appealing collection of smart hooks.