180

Four stylish London lads bust out of the gate with a throwback effort that evokes the Stranglers and Libertines (without the drug troubles) and a host of other earnest (if slightly illiterate) rockers. These are songs of youth, of the city, of desperate excitement. Guitar, bass, drums, an organ with settings sometimes borrowed from The Clean's "Tally Ho" era, and tons of reverb on the vocals. I see this band poised to overheat quickly and then warp into a strung-out trainwreck, so enjoy the innocence and have fun with it while you can.

1. * med, some rave-up moments and a great rousing (if dumb) chorus
2. med, nice organ lines, but weak drop-outs for vocals
3. * med(-), common but memorable chord progression
4. med+, propulsive
5. varies, probably a show-stopper live (but not in studio)
6. dn -> med -> dn, goofy crescendo at end
7. med(+) / varies, definitely channeling the Stranglers here
8. * med(+)/varies, anthemic dumb-core sweep in 3 minutes
9. med(-), slightly sappy, perhaps 3+ drinks into the evening?
10. dn / builds, reaching for that second wind
11. dn(+), slowly swinging pseudo-anthem that ends after about 3 minutes... followed by 10-15 seconds of ambient rumbling... and then med/varies, a drunken mishmash of a new song