Northern Uproar [Clear Vinyl]

On their self-titled debut album, the teenage band comes on like a minature , thanks to the production of . It's clear that learned their riffs secondhand through and lifted the rest of their sound -- as well as their apolitical, laddish attitude -- from . At their best, the band can tear through appealingly raucous and melodic rock & roll with brutal, youthful energy. At their worst, the group wants to prove that they're more than a rock & roll band, so they head down slow, string-laden detours. At this point in their career, doesn't have the depth to pull off ballads, but that's fine, given their age. certainly isn't a consistent album but it is fun, if occasionally mindless, rock & roll. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine