In small doses, I really enjoy The Audition. I don’t think they’ve quite managed to write a knockout full album, but they have some killer singles and they’re a fun and energetic live band. They’re also more prolific than Wayne Rooney – ‘Great Danger‘ comes just a year after their self-titled album which I thought was pretty strong. The story goes that the band had so many ideas during those sessions they wanted to put them down on tape and the result is this album.
Which is a great shame as it’s mostly crap. It just seems a bit weaker than what they’ve done previously – the dancy bits aren’t that great, the choruses aren’t that catchy and the guitars don’t seem as loud or energetic. There’s very little here that stands out, the first few times I listened to this album it really did just pass me by. On about the third listen I started skipping tracks. ‘Run Away’ is the token acoustic ballad that’s just plain rubbish, while songs like ‘You Ruined This’ hint at better things but never really hit the right spot. It just feels like a The Audition album of b-sides – the feel is there, but the songs just aren’t that strong.
There’s the odd catchy moment and ‘Honest Mistake’ shines like a beacon above the rest of the dross, but overall I’m left with this massive disappointing feeling. For a band that can be great, this really is not an example of their finest work.