Full disclosure: I don’t like the alternative dance subgenres (mostly British) which combine dance music and rock music. I don’t like them because I like rock music and I don’t like dance music. So the idea of adding dance beats to rock music doesn’t make much sense to me.

I had no idea what this was – beyond aggressively “alternative” dance music – until “Right Here, Right Now” came on and I was like “Ohhhh, this band.” I remembered this song, though I don’t remember the video and my child’s brain couldn’t figure out what the song was about. Unlike some albums, the biggest hit is pretty indicative of the sound. (And if you know the other singles, it’s the same thing.)

What I will say for them is they commit to the fusion more so than some of their contemporaries, who either add vague dancy beats to what is otherwise very middle of the road British alternative rock music, or who found dance producers to utterly transform their music into dance music. I suspect this is a virtue but then, I don’t like the genre.

If you do like this kind of music, I suspect you will like this. The songs are reasonably catchy and Edwards has a distinct lyrical voice. And the presence of an honest to goodness songwriter does make the album more palatable to the music fan in me. It is also very much an album full of looped rock guitars with dance beats if that is the kind of thing that floats your boat.

But this is very much not my thing; to me it sounds horribly dated and the collision of loud rock guitars and dance beats has never had any musical appeal to me. Edwards’ attempt to bring actual songs to the genre doesn’t really do much to change my mind. It’s just not my type of music.

6/10