You Me At Six Take Off Your Colours

It takes a special kind of band to be able to write instantaneously catchy, hook-driven pop rock songs whose appeal cuts across generations, continents and gender. As of late those bands have all hailed from the United States. Bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco have stormed across the Atlantic with messenger bags and super melodic songs in tow. Now, on the other side of the pond several bands are preparing to return the favor. Hailing from the southeast UK, You Me At Six is one such band. Practically a household name amongst the emo set over there they are now poised to conquer the States with their debut album, Take Off Your Colours.

Packed to the rafters with more melodicism then a melodica, Take Off Your Coloursis catchier than ebola but just as deadly. With harmonies sharper than stainless steel blades, You Me At Six throw songs out like daggers and they don't miss. Each song on Take Off Your Colours is a strike at the memory centers of your brain. With choruses that explode into the heavens and guitars that soar just as high, it's almost impossible to forget the songs that make up this record.

Sure much of Take Off Your Coloursis your typical angsty emo-tastic material but the thing about You Me At Six is that they aren't to far past that age where things like breakups are constantly bittersweet. So knock them if you will, but this is a band that isn't old enough to own houses, cars, or think about a marriage. This is a band that probably still has scars from school and aren't afraid to sing about it. It's kind of repetitive and a wee bit cliche but it all comes back to the fact that these guys know their way around a pop song and whether it's emo-ish or not they have that knack to create riffs and choruses that you'll never forget.

From the ridiculously addictive teen angst of "Save It For the Bedroom," to the jumpy start stop riffs of "If You Run," Take Off Your Colours will have it's way with you whether you like it or not. You Me At Six have proven throughout Take Off Your Colours that they're clearly poised for world domination and with this, the American/re-release of their debut album, it's very likely. If you like emo or just uber-melodic pop rock with a side dish of angst you'll find yourself loving You Me At Six's Take Off Your Colours simply for the enormousness of it's songs and the fact that even your mother will remember the lyrics.