You Me At Six

Do you see meat when you look at You Me At Six? Cute as the 18 year olds may be, the clue is actually in the name... youmeatsix. No? Maybe that’s a peculiar observation. But the typical view of this band is that they look and sound rather like theirs / your favourite American pop-punk-emo elite of current artists. The band themselves admitting their initial exposure was down to the similarity – and lack of homegrown equivalents.


The influence is clearly there in album 'Take Off Your Colours’ - 'Save It For the Bedroom’ in particular seems like a tribute to My Chemical Romance’s 'I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’. You Me At Six, however, don’t have the venom of My Chem, neither have they honed the story-telling brilliance of Panic! At the Disco or established the curious edge of Fall Out Boy. Some would mark them down for this.


But in fairness, they don’t have the high production value of their US counterparts either. You Me At Six are literally doing it by themselves for themselves, and this, their long-awaited debut, is a promising start. It proves you shouldn’t have to cross the pond for a record that, ok, may not be listened to in three years but one that suggests this band are just getting warmed up.


'Take Off Your Colours’ snaps, crackles and rocks in all the right places, with frontman Josh Franceschi singing his heart out. Its title track and 'Jealous Minds Think Alike’ stand out like sore thumbs (up) and, diehards, you’re going to love them for this.


Indeed, why go out for T-Bone steak when the British burgers in your freezers are tasty enough?