Rather bravely discarding the early material produced by Alan Moulder (
Nine Inch Nails,
Smashing Pumpkins) and Paul Simm (
Sugababes,
Amy Winehouse), London-based four-piece
Ivyrise return with an almost entirely new lineup and a slightly harder-edged sound which might dispel any comparisons with
Bon Jovi, the band they supported on the Lost Highway tour four years previously. Only shaggy-haired lead vocalist Ben Falinski remains from the quartet who scored indie chart singles with "Tips" and "Disguise," but while his rather over-earnest vocal tendencies tend to drift into corny, fist-clenching territory, the production from Jason Perry steers their self-titled and self-funded debut into more alternative waters. Bearing the hallmarks of the former frontman's previous collaborations, the chugging guitars and anthemic woah-woah chorus of "Yes to Running" recalls the highly charged emo pop of
Kids in Glass Houses; lead single "Line Up the Stars" contains the same anthemic qualities of stadium rock purveyors Futures; while "Looks Like Heaven," described by Falinski as the most sensitive song he's written, and "You Know Me" are the kind of melodic ballads you used to expect from
McFly before they ditched the guitars to hook up with
Taio Cruz. However, the overblown,
Poison-esque "El Paso" and the melodramatic, piano-led "Last Words," shows they haven't left their '80s cock rock influences completely behind, while the quiet/loud formula, which defines the likes of "Too Much" and "Run from You," begins to wear thin pretty quickly.
Ivyrise are likely to encounter the same problem that the likes of Raygun faced in that they're too pop to be taken seriously, but too heavy to be embraced by the teenybopper brigade, and while their D.I.Y. approach should be applauded, there's nothing here you haven't heard before. ~ Jon O'Brien