5 Seconds Of Summer
5 Seconds of Summer may have gained international exposure opening for One Direction, but they\'ve always insisted that they\'re a *band*, not a boy band. And they\'re backing that up with this debut. Writing all their own songs and enlisting veteran pop-punk producer John Feldman (Goldfinger, The Used), the Australian four-piece deliver a set that\'s more Blink-182 than 98 Degrees. Not only do the jagged riffs and spastic sing-along hooks evoke Blink; the lyrics do, too. \"She\'s got a naughty tattoo, in a place I want to get to,\" sings teenage lothario Luke Hemmings on \"18.\" The global smash \"She Looks So Perfect\" is joined by a mix of spunky styles, from the midtempo anthem \"Long Way Home\" to the lighter-waving slow jam \"Beside You.\" 5SOS are a band all right, and a capable one at that.
If one could draw a Venn diagram with Southern California punk-pop giants Green Day on the left and British boy band sensations One Direction on the right, the circles would most likely intersect to create Australia's 5 Seconds of Summer.
<p>This punk-lite boy band revives an old formula, but their enthusiasm makes it work, writes <strong>Phil Mongredien</strong></p>
The Australian pop-punk boy band purvey shrill exuberance that will ensure chart success and have fans' parents reaching for the earplugs, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>