Don Broco - Priorities (Deluxe Edition) (2012)

Having recently supported the likes of post-hardcore outfits Enter Shikari and We Are the Ocean, you'd expect Bedfordshire quartet Don Broco to be aiming for a similar metalhead crowd. However, their debut album, Priorities, suggests they have much more mainstream ambitions. The Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque "Hold On" contains the kind of quick-fire funk riffs that Flea has built a career on, the percussive folk-tinged "Yeah Man" conjures up images of Mumford & Sons suddenly going emo, while the sunny melodies and frontman Rob Damiani's sung-rap delivery on "Whole Truth" recalls the late-'90s power pop of Third Eye Blind. There's even a venture, and a convincing one at that, into '80s synth rock on the low-key melancholy of "You Got It Girl." It's hardly music for the mosh pits then, but while these daytime radio-friendly tracks might not exactly bolster their rawk credentials, they'd be far better exploring this angle further. For when they attempt to go heavier, such as the thunderous "Fancy Dress" and the spiky punk-pop of "Actors," they're very ordinary indeed. And while the teenage angst anthems favored by the likes of You Me at Six are refreshingly few and far between, there's a lyrical immaturity that suggests they still have a bit of growing up to do, particularly with the cringey tale of seduction on "Hold On" and the "bros before hos" mentality of the title track. Nevertheless, considering the mountain of similar bands all vying for the front cover of Kerrang! magazine, Priorities is an encouraging first offering that should at least help them stand out from the crowd.~Priorities Review by Jon O'Brien