A Million Knives by The Velveteers is one of those records that’s so confident in its own power that it makes us feel slightly nervous, oozing swagger, and demanding your attention before strutting off, not caring whether you follow. It’s easily one of the most confident, raunchy, sharply performed rock albums of the decade so far, performed by a trio with a most unusual and effective setup. The Velveteers are fronted by guitarist and vocalist Demi Demitro, backed by not one but two drummers (Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig) who share a conjoined drum kit. It might sound like a gimmick, but what they’re doing is totally fresh. The percussion is thunderous, always in conversation with Demi’s filthy, sexy riffs, with real melodic complexity in what she’s doing on the guitar.

All These Little Things sets the tone perfectly, shifting from a heaving triplet swing into a 4/4 rock stomp with such smoothness that it feels like a flex. The confidence is baked into every decision: bent notes, falsetto flickers, rhythmic swerves, all delivered with complete control. It’s hard to believe all the vocals and guitar are coming from one person. You’d be lucky to have either a vocalist or a guitarist with this kind of instinct. Demi is both. It’s also the most sexually confident rock record in ages, with humour and poise in the delivery.

It’s intimidatingly seductive, threateningly sexy music that would have Austin Powers in a panic.

See Your Face is short and sweet, a track about the mortifying flush of seeing someone you wish you hadn’t, and the line “When I see your face I wanna disappear” communicates more emotion in its vocal drift than the words themselves. Demi’s emotional intelligence as a performer elevates everything she touches, not just singing the lyrics, but embodying the feelings behind them. Bound In Leather brings a disco edge with falsetto vocals and Nile Rodgers guitar lines that wouldn’t be out of place on an ABBA single...but it’s still heavy. You can hear Jack White in the bluesier, riff-led tracks, as well as the influence of classic funk, glam, and late-70s rock-and-roll excess - all retooled by someone with a deep understanding of dynamics, tone, and charisma.

More than anything, A Million Knives is a compelling advert for their live shows. They’re ridiculously, devastatingly, outrageously cool. Thirteen tracks, and not a single duff one. The Velveteers hit loneliness, isolation, desire, insecurity, and Demi’s control over her voice is second to none, knowing when to drag a line, twist a note, or break into a falsetto. Her guitar playing flexes across disco, blues, and raw garage rock, and the record is meticulously produced, full of overdubs, flourishes, and sonic detail. A Million Knives flits effortlessly between raw, fast garage-punk, slow-dirge crawls, and delicate ballads. There’s grandiosity, and there’s restraint. It covers serious emotional and stylistic ground without missing a beat, and they’re young. This is the sound of a new generation digging into rock’s roots and building something strange and cool out of it. The Velveteers have carved out their own little world here, and we’ve fallen a little in love.