Royseven

You Say, We Say Roadrunner Records**

It's not quite a case of "Big in Japan", but Royseven's renown in Germany is something of an amusing oddity. After their debut's success in Europe, the Dubliners are hoping to make a splash closer to home with this second album, but the problem is that their inoffensive pop-rock now sounds too nondescript amid the innovation of Ireland's current musical purple patch. These are glossy, hi-fi songs tailored for daytime radio, replete with tokenistic lyrics and humdrum chord progressions. The space-pop of the title track suggests a bouncier Muse, while the slow build of Wallsreaches for the emotional depths of Arcade Fire but only skims the surface. Perhaps Royseven should concentrate on the market they've already cornered – either that or re-jig their predictable writing process and introduce some much-needed personality to their songs.

See royseven.com

Download tracks: You Say, We Say