The Septembers - Edge of the World

Rating: * *

The problem with the debut album by the Septembers is that sometimes it wallows when its obvious intention is to uplift. Take opener Blame, which has a steely Neil Young guitar graunch that sounds potent and brilliant but while the chorus is beautiful, it's more on the forlorn side than being anywhere close to enlightening.

There are flashes of Americana and country (like the soaring slide guitar on Hold), moments of epic Coldplay-like lift-offs and Yours Alone is akin to Straitjacket Fits' Down In Splendour, only without the power and intensity that made that song so riveting.

One of the exceptions is the catchy and spirited sonics of Last Slow Hours, but while a song like Blow has potential to be a real thigh-slapper, it's not even a toe-tapper, and Is It True? is nothing but soppy, twee filler. Even quieter, more poised songs need a bit of old-fashioned mongrel and menace to make them believable - Coldplay have known that all along and now they're the biggest, and best bands in the world.

The Septembers have grand ambitions, as last track Once Again's rousing orchestral-laced refrains show, but mostly Edge of the World is too ineffectual to pull it off.

Scott Kara