Caught in between the dance-rock cool of Ireland's
Two-Door Cinema Club and the earnest production of '90s English boy band
BBMak,
Rixton are at their best when they're being delightful or ridiculous. Produced by
Benny Blanco, Robopop, Rob Golan, and
Steve Mac, and featuring writing contributions from such ubiquitous contemporary pop luminaries as
Ed Sheeran,
Mike Posner, and
Matchbox Twenty's
Rob Thomas, the group's debut album, 2015's
Let the Road, is a slick, occasionally invigorating listen that showcases the group's pop- and R&B-infused sound. Centered around the resonant, lad-about-town lead-vocals of Jake Roche,
Rixton are a lot like
One Direction, if
One Direction sounded more like
Maroon 5. Cuts like "Me and My Broken Heart," "Speakerphone," and "We All Want," soar through your ears like skillfully constructed heat-seeking-missiles of radio-ready pop. Also redeeming are such cheekily infectious pop aperitifs as the
Bruno Mars-ish "I Like Girls," and the very '90s,
Color Me Badd-esque, opening a cappella title track. ~ Matt Collar