The cover may not bode well (a morbid Photoshop job which appears to have been knocked together by a teenager who paints his nails black), and joint lead singer Alex Westaway sounds uncomfortably like his voice is in the process of breaking, but once you've overcome these two obstacles this new single from Charlie Busted's band packs just enough of a melodic-metal punch to be taken seriously. The guitars are weighty and Charlie's vocals are hoarse enough to be considered metal territory, but the arpeggiated guitars and vocal harmonies really aren't a million miles from the punk-pop he used to lend his hand to. Live, though, this ought to be a crowd favourite, thanks to its emotive chorus and raw energy, so don't expect them to get bottled off-stage at Leeds and Reading...

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Released : 13th June 2005
Label: Island Records