The third long-player from the bluesy English four-piece,
You Owe Nothing toes the line between garage-born indie rock and radio-ready mainstream modern rock, falling somewhere between
the Black Keys,
Kings of Leon,
Kongos, and
Band of Skulls, and leaving the roots rock and folk influences that dominated their first two offerings in the rear-view mirror. It's immediately clear from the fuzzed-out volley of compressed, staccato guitar licks and meaty kick drum blasts that help launch the album opener that the band's first major-label outing is meant to attract fans of the aforementioned
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney-led punk-blues outfit. Frontman Chris Turpin and keyboard player Stephanie Ward's vocal acrobatics and the band's newfound muscularity work more times than not, with highlights arriving via (carefully calculated) garage punk gems like "Black It Out," "High Class," and "Blood Stop and Run." ~ James Christopher Monger