She Wants Revenge is the best debut CD since Franz Ferdinand’s 2004 eponymous offering.

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“You can occupy my every sigh/you can rent the space inside my mind/at least until the price becomes too high,” intones Warfield on first track “Red Flags and Long Nights.” This song and the 11 that follow are highly addictive, propelled by a strong undercurrent of sexuality, danger, and—perhaps even more daunting—the possibility of love. Densely composed, the songs pile layer upon layer of groove, beat, and word; Warfield’s near-monotone delivery conveys a detached cool; the words, too, strive to seem offhand, real, irrelevant. It’s only when you peel back the layers, dig a little deeper, that you recognize SWR’s soft and vulnerable center: the fear of being discovered, of being exposed, of falling in love.

“There’s nothing to see here people, keep moving on,” begins Warfield dismissively on the still beat-friendly but slower “These Things,” before revealing, “I try to whisper so no one figures it out.” The synth and bass–heavy “I Don’t Want to Fall in Love” finds him giving voice to his fears: “Too late, so deep, better run ’cause I don’t want to fall in love/Can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t think straight.” “Out of Control” recalls the dark disco of Interpol; despite the song’s title, Adam 12’s beats are controlled and sensual as Warfield repeats, “This song is turning me on, the beat is doing me in/or maybe it’s only you, but either way let’s begin.” The shadows grow longer and sensuality gives way to sexual desire with “Monologue”; there’s no shortage of hip-swaying beats as Warfield pulls back the curtain: “This is the time of night when the moonlight shines down/and we can reveal who we truly are/within the darkest, most depraved of joys.” A pinpointed guitar line begins and ends “Broken Promises for Broken Hearts,” a song that finds Warfield expanding his vocal range in either direction.

First single “Sister” is an instant classic, a tale of forbidden S&M with a relentless and memorable beat; this is one of those songs that makes you feel dirty just listening to it … and you know you like it. Next up, the cleansing instrumental “Disconnect” is like a warm and soapy bath before plunging back into the bedroom. The mopey and melodic “Us” pages through the photo album of happier times, a “walk through the past” of a love gone wrong. “I can tell you’d like some company/but I can’t fix you and you don’t want me,” sings Wakefield on “Someone Must Get Hurt,” back to keeping his distance.

“Tear You Apart” is the ultimate SWR song, full of all this band represents: dark, driving beats (this one’s especially Bauhaus-heavy); monotone, almost recited lyrics; and the seedy underbelly of desire … that may or may not be love. Guy notices girl, guy wants girl, guy doesn’t want to fall in love … but can he help it? “It’s only just a crush, it’ll go away/Or maybe this is danger and you just don’t know,” sings Warfield before laying it all out in the refrain: “I want to hold you close/Soft breasts, beating heart/As I whisper in your ear/‘I want to fucking tear you apart.’” The final track, “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not,” brings the beats-per-minute down a notch and leaves Warfield ruminating, “Felt too much/did she feel a thing?”

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