General Fiasco - Unfaithfully Yours Album Review

Having released their debut album, 'Buildings', in 2010, Northern Ireland quartet General Fiasco have gone on to play alongside the likes of Kids In Glass Houses and The Enemy. A recent show in Belfast to herald the arrival of the Olympic torch is now followed by the release of their second record and they'll be on the road throughout the UK in October to support it.

General Fiasco are very much in the mould of a rock band producing pop songs with quirky guitar hooks. The sound isn't far removed from that which has brought limited chart success to New Yorkers Vampire Weekend; a flurry of six-string energy powers 'Gold Chains' through, whilst the chirpy 'Closer' is nearly anthem material. They do, however, lack true staying power, proving to be nice moments instead of memories to revisit. The exception to this is 'The Age You Start Losing Friends'; a hugely enjoyable mid-tempo number that gets the feet moving and has rightly had national radio support. Of the clutch of slower songs, 'This Is Living' is never really suited to the vocals of Owen Strathern; 'The Bottom' falls short of being the Snow Patrol arena track it wants to be, but 'Brother Is' proves a solid enough album track. Ultimately, 'Unfaithfully Yours' fails to deliver on moments of promise to really excite, but generally remains listenable throughout its duration.

Alex Lai