A lot of people are going to hate this band; this Dublin trio are no doubt a permanent fixture on the radio with their MOR radio-friendly choruses that engrain themselves into your mind whether you like it or not. Compared, misleadingly, to Maroon 5 they appear to pay homage to Sting than any other artist. Their music is up-tempo pop soul accompanied by funky drumming and a wall of acoustic guitars.
Their unique selling point is their resume which reads like some veteran super-group than a trio of twenty-something’s. Session players, apprentices in LA, producers, and even band boy members, they are being hurled fearlessly onto the world stage.
On first listen it seems unthreatening; bordering into Ronan Keating territory at times, filled with clichés, and infused with some bland ballads along the way, this is by no means a flawless debut. They buff up songs so much with ultramodern aesthetics that it gleams like a shiny new car, tipping the production into slickness territory rather than soul. This makes them almost pathologically cheesy.
However, upon further listening, a more sophisticated sound is revealed. I am genuinely torn between their downfalls and their genuine ability to pen a melodic and likeable hit with great storytelling, and even social commentary in places. It’s confident, polished, and devastatingly effective in places.
There is nothing that stands out as astonishing but their potential for the future is clear to see after this perfectly solid debut album. They have not fully reached their full abilities yet but with time they could be unstoppable.
No comments:
Post a Comment