Album Review

You Me At Six – Take Off Your Colours

• 13th Oct 2008

Sometimes in music reviewing the time comes when you cannot give an unbiased opinion and you just have to stand proud, maybe on a table somewhere, and declare ‘this is just not for me’. That time is upon us ladies and gents. ‘You Me At Six’, a quintet from Surrey release their debut album ‘Take Off Your Colours’ at a time when there is already enough sickly sweet music in our day-to-day lives. On the radio, all over myspace, it’s difficult to escape.

You Me At Six couldn’t have survived had they been releasing music 10 years ago; they are most definitely benefitting from certain 2008 audiences who have forgotten what well-written music sounds like.

The majority of songs on this album are bland and uninspiring, with dollops of sentiment thrown in just because the band have been getting away with it in their live shows.

Lead singer Josh Franceschi sounds American, quite an achievement from a Dorset-born lad, and they tend to be nasal at the best of times. Tracks such as’Always Attract’ and ‘Save It For the Bedroom’ follow the now typical poppy/emo mix, and lyrics such as “It’s a lottery/I can’t wait to draw your name” simply make you want to weep with frustration.

There’s much better music to listen to and if you make it halfway through the album, you’ll scold yourself for wasting your time. If you find yourself thinking that any of these tracks speak to you, don’t. Just turn it off and find something better.