Taking their name from the ridge that overlooks their home borough of Otley, West Yorkshire, English alt-rockers
the Chevin's propulsive, radio-ready blend of
U2,
Coldplay,
the Guillemots, and
The Bends-era
Radiohead isn't nearly as rustic as their naturalistic moniker would suggest. Bolstered by a Wembley arena-sized single ("Champion") that dominated television and commercial pop radio in the months before their full-length debut's release, the ten-track
Borderland doles out pop hooks like a carnival barker. Glistening, smartly produced, and relentlessly enthusiastic, it's a shame that the songs themselves are all so rote, bloated with lyrical clichés and ubiquitous, soaring choruses that are better left in the more capable hands of groups like
the Killers or
Muse. That said, tracks like "Drive," "Blue Eyes," and the appropriately epic title cut are as immediate and shiny as they are vacant, and lead vocalist/songwriter
Coyle Girelli's
Bellamy/
Yorke/
Bono croon is so unapologetically sincere that it's hard not to get swept up in all of the melodrama, for at least a minute or two. ~ James Christopher Monger