Emo, emo, emo… if modern music wasn’t so fucked up in so many ways you would have no hesitation in calling it a blight. However, as it stands the mainstream is embracing every plastic re-hash that the big labels hurl from atop the production line, so when kids decide to rock out (albeit it from behind two inches of mascara and a fringe you could hang yourself with) you got to give them some room.

Some use that room better than others and Arizonian sextet Scary Kids Scaring Kids is one such act. While their moniker choosing skills may be well up the shit, their ability to write instantly catchy rock anthems is quite honed for such a young band.

Young or not, this is by no means their first foray into the studio and the song writing is at a pretty passable level, tracks like The Deep End and Holding On really set the album up but the band’s manic style pushes the listeners a little too far from the original intent.

Like so many bands trying to reproduce inspiration, their influences readily come to the fore in obviously fashion. In the case of Scary Kids Scaring Kids the bands tattooed on their sleeve range from Jimmy Eat World to classic era Megadeth. And that’s probably the first question someone should ask the lads. With what are obviously well developed song-writing skills why burden a strong record with these flavour of the week metal chug break downs? One – this band does not need them and two – this band is no where near heavy enough to pull them off.

SKSK is a solid record but when the band really comes to terms with their strengths and turn’s its back on the pack, that’s when we’ll finally see what they can do.