The Script

It's now more than a decade since The Script first arrived with their impressive debut album and a string of hit singles. Since then the band's sound has moved with the times, but not always moving in a positive direction. Those early hits like Breakeven and We Cry sounded fresh and earned the Dublin outfit some pop credibility. Arms Open aside, the disappointing 2017 Freedom Child hinted at a band unsure of their place. Not an unusual feeling for groups at a time when solo artists and colloborations dominate.

Ahead of their six studio album, due later this year, The Last Time points to a back to basics approach. Produced by the band themselves, the sound is simple with seethrough lyrics. It's about saying goodbye and there is very little subtlety; 'is this the last time my eyes lay upon you, is this the last time that I watch you leave'. Shakespeare it is not, but then it doesn't need to be. What the Script did so well in 2008 was moody pop with interesting production and great hooks. The Lyrics had an early career zing, but the tunes are what attracted fans. The Last Time is perhaps the closest they have come to recapturing that, since 2010's Science & Faith.

If they can find more songs like this for the new album, the set for their always fun live shows will be boosted beyond those early years. There's also an impresssive video too with the Polish model Anna Jogodzinska, overseen by long time collaborator Charles Mehling.