5 Seconds of Summer: the debut album.

This is now my third blog post featuring 5 Seconds of Summer and I still don't think I have a bad word to say about them. 3 days ahead of it's UK release I've managed to get a listen of the boys debut album and I am so glad I've been able to do so. I'm just over half way through my first listen of the self-titled album and I am yet to be disappointed. Yes, there's some ballads and some pop but there's also some serious rock & roll sounds throughout the album and it's awesome. It's definitely worth some attention and it will definitely be on repeat for a long long time. Single's 'She Looks So Perfect' and 'Don't Stop' obviously feature very early on in the album and although they are both great songs, they are almost forgotten by the end of the album because there are so many other songs which you instantly love just as much. Alongside the singles there's also songs such as 'Heartbreak Girl', 'Good Girls' and 'Beside You' which have been kicking about the internet and the live circuit for a while. I love all these songs but I have found new loves in the form of tracks '18' which I will sing along to as if I am 17, and not in fact 20, and 'Kiss Me Kiss Me' which the band teased fans with pre-album release.

So what does it actually sound like, other than my bias opinion of awesome? Well, it sounds like the sort of stuff that daytime radio will devour and that teenage girls will scream about. It also has hints of anthemic power with many "woah" sing-a-long sections and a few guitar solos that fit in with the bands of Kerrang! and Rock Sound. The album is also an ode to the bands which have clearly influenced and shaped 5 Seconds of Summer with similarities to bands such as One Direction but also bands such as Green Day (Social Casualty is very 'Minority'-esque). In a YouTube series entitled #FINALLYA5SOSALBUM, the boys touch upon writing with the Madden brothers (Good Charlotte) and Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low); names such as these are what make it clear that these boys are serious musicians and that they are a rock band. To be honest, it doesn't matter if you think their rock or pop because there is something for everyone on this album, even if it is enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. It's fun and it's catchy. It's a triumph for four Australian boys with an average age of 18 to make an impact as big as this on a worldwide scale. They're a band which are full of promise and this album reflects that entirely.

'5 Seconds of Summer' is available for pre-order now and will be released on Monday 30th June.