This Is Pop - 'This Is Pop' (This Is Fake DIY) Released 11/02/08

There is an ethos presumably as old as time that goes: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.' This Is Pop certainly subscribe to this view, hell, they probably have it tattooed on their foreheads such is the pummelling of one idea evident on their eponymous mini album. The pinnacle of This Is Pop's creative output displayed here is ‘X-Berg’, a sub 2 minute scratchy-spunky jumpy-rattle that Be Your Own pet would lap up. It’s almost too good, given that the other seven tracks that accompany it don’t even come close to beating it. To use a cliché footballing analogy, ‘This Is Pop’ is a one man team - overly reliant on their star player.

‘From The Front’ begins with beats and riffs attacking one another for the listener's attention and the stop start breakdowns do just that, showing the energy and attitude laced throughout This Is Pop's music. This attitude and the liberated power are continued on the Metric aping ‘Outside’, that wants to be the aforementioned ‘Monster Hospital’ so badly it hurts.

However, the first two tracks on this eight track affair at least have some get up and go, chutzpah you could say - the rest of the album fades into a bland pea soup of forgettable melodies and tired re-hashed musical ideas. ‘Ashes’ repetitive refrain of “In my kitchen” accompanied by scratching guitars and whiny vocals is beyond infuriating. The same can be said for ‘BPM’ and the turgid ‘This Is Movement’. ‘We Play You Come’ is more of the same with admittedly a bit more charm before the welcome introduction of ‘X-Berg’.

The album ends on the completely different ‘This Is Pop’ (Yes a self titled song on a self titled album, confusing). A grungy synth led track with male vocals and more aggressive mind-set and drive than the rest of the album put together. Perhaps when it comes round to TIP's full-length debut they should explore the avenues of this breed of music rather than running head long down the lo-fi punk route. This isn’t pop, it’s just average.