This album caught me a little off guard. I brought it on a whim and now I have had it for a couple of months. Just recently the penny dropped, and I now get it. There is a certain quality that surrounds this band that I like. Sounding a bit like the Clash and the Jam in the sense that there is a anti-establishment streak in them which certainly has endeared them to me.
There is also a pessimistic slant to the lyrics; it is not your run of the mill happy punky rock album. I'm not a lyric man, I'll be honest and say I miss the point a lot of the time, but the lyrics are quality throughout the album, it is really a social commentary of London life, I'd liken it to the type of narration The Streets use. Sung, not spoken though. Similar type of topics as Hard-Fi are also producing too, It seems Mike Skinner take on the public and places around him have become a major influence in British music.
These boys have lent heavily on their influences and along with the aforementioned punk rock gods they sound like they have much respect for The Libertines. Something familiar also hit me throughout the album, and it is the likeness to Bloc Party with their clever use of electronic production gives this album a definite edge. It certainly fits in well with what Bloc Party have achieved but with and extra punch of aggression.
As debuts go this is pretty outstanding. Although, I do feel they have a broad set of influences to capture the largest market area.
I didn't get it at first, took a couple of listens before it sounded good, be aware of this and it will grow on you. All in all it is a thumbs up from me.
Like :- Clash, Gang Of Four, Bloc Party, The Libertines