So, frontman Finn Keogh – whose face will surely be plastered onto bedroom walls, while his words are inked onto skin – delivers towering vocal performances, counter-balanced by his lyrical vulnerability (’I’m such a loser/I’m so alone,’ he emotes on Loser). And the band show a mastery of dynamics, mustering real power on anthems Be Happy and Thorn, yet able to drop the pace – if never the intensity – on ballads such as Bird On The Wire.
The songs are outstanding, with the happy knack of seeming just too short, meaning this album will leave you wanting or – on the sensational 131 seconds of That’s Me – positively begging for more.
And more there surely will be, as Keo head an alt-rock resurgence on this side of the pond. Until then, as epic closer Spent On You dissolves in a coda of feedback, it’s clear Smile… should not only be a big step up for Keo, but a giant leap for bandkind.
Verdict: 5/5
For fans of: Nirvana, Radiohead, Lonely The Brave
Put A Smile On For Me is released on September 25 via Island.