For the most part, there's nothing inherently wrong with the album. It's just not particularly interesting where it could have been.

Most of the songs sound exactly like what they were made to sound like, which is to say that they sound like everything else that dominates the charts these days. Understandable, given that the album was made by an artist trying to establish herself as a serious contender in that sphere. It just makes for a kind of unremarkable end product.

There are some ... read more

This s**t rocks, front to back.

It is a fun listen for the most part, but it doesn’t really offer much that is unique or all that memorable. If you like punk-infused power pop, and you just want more of that, you will like this. If not, you can afford to give it a miss.

The songs themselves are enjoyable for the most part, but I cannot get over the mixing on this one. It sounds like a blocked nose. All of the sounds are coming from one place and seem to all exist at the same level, which makes the whole thing sound incredibly cluttered. It's a shame, really.

Maybe that's what it's supposed to sound like? I'm not sure. I don't have a great deal of experience with the genre. But I can't get into it.

For the record, the production on this album is really interesting and quite unlike a lot of things I've heard. Most of the time it works. The album is very aesthetically coherent and at times enjoyable.

I'm just not sure it's for me, personally. A lot of the performances feel kind of monotonous and flat, save for a couple of instances towards the end of the album. Though the coherence I mentioned is a strength at times, the ambiguity of emotion that comes from the, well, lack of it in the ... read more

There are some enjoyable moments, and there are a couple of songs (namely "Heaven Is A Place" and "Sunshine") that I felt had the potential to be good, but the album is mostly quite derivative-sounding and not all that interesting. I don't really think any of the songs are bad, rather that they don't particularly stand out amongst their peers to the point of being worthwhile listening to over any other blues rock.

If you gave The Wiggles some heavier instruments, slapped them around a bit, and told them to play a set at Download, you might end up with something like this.

Make of that what you will.

Parts of this album, namely the first half or so, literally had me sat with my mouth wide open. So full of original ideas, often several over the course of single tracks which are threaded together expertly. "Parade" is an absolute masterpiece of a song in this regard and ends with one of the most impressive crescendos I have heard.

I felt it dropped off a little bit on the back end, though, as if kind of running out of steam. None of the songs on the album are bad, it should be ... read more

Full disclosure, this is my favourite album of all time (and I wasn't even born when it was released).

This is (almost) the perfect pop album, in that there is something for every listener to like. The album revolves around a thoroughly brilliant collection of pop melodies and hooks, which on their own would be enough to make it great. They are supplemented, though, by some of the most uncompromising, engaging, and interesting musicianship you will find on any album in the genre. The hooks ... read more

It's short and sharp yet considered and witty, and injects some interesting electronic sounds (especially on the back end) to spice up an already well-executed post-punk formula across the album. An impressive debut.