SCRIPT

When the roof fell in on the boy band scene, crushing young Westlife soundalikes Mytown, Dubliners Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan high-tailed it to L.A. to engineer for the likes of Teddy Riley, the Neptunes, and Rodney Jerkins. Together with drummer Glen Power, three-piece the Script became an overnight success in the U.K. and Ireland with their debut single "We Cry," although their self-titled album bears the imprint of their internship in California, a meticulously and well-scripted (excuse the pun) blend of smooth soul and radio rock in the mould of Maroon 5 and OneRepublic (indeed, they share much in common with the latter, having both worked with Timbaland in the past). Singles "We Cry" and follow-up "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" are obvious highlights, the former a catalog of hard luck stories -- single mothers, drug-addled rock stars, the usual suspects -- set to the tune of moody jazz guitar chords and lavish strings. "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" calls to mind the soul-infused modern rock of John Legend, while "Talk You Down" sees O'Donoghue talk a friend down from the brink of suicide in the style of Daniel Bedingfield. The highlights come fast and early -- though "Before the Worst" borrows a little too much from Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" for comfort -- and by the time the boy-band imitations "I'm Yours" and "If You See Kay" roll around, the Script has exhausted its songwriting well twice over. Dave Donnelly.

This is an import product, and as such may take longer to source stock, we estimate that despatch will take 14-20 days after ordering, click here for more information regarding import products.