Nightmare Of You - Nightmare of You Album Review

Artist - Nightmare of You
Album - Nightmare of You
Label - Full Time Hobby

An album in which a group of Green Day look-alikes from the US mix some Smiths cynicism with some Bluetones bounciness to produce an oddly compelling bunch of 1980s references (here a New Order, there a Stone Roses, everywhere some Trashcan Sinatras). Launching this debut into a world where bands like The Stills, The Killers and the Strokes provide great pop-rock singles isn't ever going to be easy. What helps is that many of the songs here are just so catchy, and are destined to be great MTV 2 fare. Viewed as a collection of 11 singles, this album works really well. It always pulls back from going over the line into alterna-rock (the one that the Strokes are so happy drifting over). The band clearly have a lot to offer anyone either missing the 80s or too young to have been there first time around.

Rating 8/10

Mike Rea
Adult Contemporary Essentials

Rating Guide:
9-10 Essential purchase
7-8 Good, definite buy if you've liked this artist in the past
5-6 OK only, don't say I didn't warn you
3-4 Poor, even for this artist
1-2 Awful