Jonas Brothers
(Jonas Brothers)

THESE three brothers from New Jersey are fast becoming the band of the moment. They sound like the love child of High School Musical and Disney Club and have been labelled as a punk-pop band. The trio has produced a host of easy listening songs delivered by some above average vocals. Unfortunately I find this style of music annoying and pretentious. There are far too many groups adopting the cheesy McFly sound these days and far too many people thinking it’s cool. The only good thing about this album was that it had me reaching for a bit of Rage Against The Machine.

Cpl Ray Kalaker, RETDU (B)

www.jonasbrothers.com

On The Brink
(The Thirst)

HAVING produced a very strong debut album, The Thirst’s sound is best described as a blend of punk and reggae – uptempo and edgy with lyrics to match. Discovered by Rolling Stones’ guitarist Ronnie Wood, they got a record deal and an exclusive support slot with the Stones, which saw them play in front of a crowd of 40,000 in Croatia. Seen at Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals, the foursome’s well-crafted collection of tracks deserves to be a success. If The Thirst continue to showcase this form, the combo from Brixton should soon find itself at the forefront of British pop-rock.

Patrick Jordan, ex-RAMC

Fortress Round My Heart
(Ida Maria)

LAST month the Norwegian punk-pop musician announced her entrance on the UK music scene with the single I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked. Her style on her debut album is very similar and will appeal to fans of bands such as Green Day. But Ida is definitely not your typical girl-with-a-guitar artist. In an interview she said: “I wanted to make ten short, sharp, perfect tracks no more than three minutes long. I wanted to make pop music that hits you hard – music you can dance to, drink to, go crazy to.” I think she has made a damn good go at making this pay off. Fortress Round My Heart was not to my usual taste but I enjoyed it.

Lt Jim Berry, 1 R Irish

Hymns in the Key of 666
(Hellsongs)

THE self-confessed metal aficionados have stepped out of their comfort zone with this album. I approached it with preconceived ideas of genre, production and song writing but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Rather than thrash metal guitar and monotone angry shouting, each track from the Swedish trio is underpinned by gentle acoustic guitar backed up with some delicate keyboard arrangements. Lyrically, this is a brooding metal album but the female lead vocal offers well-balanced light relief. That said, all ten tracks are pretty samey and listening borders on monotonous.

Cpl Tom Robinson, 151 Tpt Regt, RLC

Live and Very Attractive DVD
(Bowling For Soup)

ONE look at this American punk-pop group and you know what you’re going to get – the 20-stone guitarist, boastful talk of how much they drank backstage and loud, grungy songs on how “the beauty queen rejected me at the prom, where are you now, I’m really famous, don’t you regret it”. But regardless of the fact that the four lads from Wichita Falls are now in their thirties and still bleating on about high school rejection, you can’t help but like them. Millions sold worldwide must say something and this DVD of the concert in Manchester’s Apollo says they’ve still got it where it counts.

WO1 David Greaves, REME

Silver Spoons and Broken Bones
(Stone Gods)

NOVELTY rock act The Darkness was high in the music popularity ratings when lead singer Justin Hawkins left in 2006. A new band formed from the ashes – Stone Gods – and guitarist Richie Edwards moved centre stage to assume the lead vocalist role. The UK foursome ditched the karaoke-friendly tunes in favour of a much darker style. Tracks from their debut album such as Burn the Witch and Defend or Die crank up the noise and take the listener on a nostalgic trip round 1980s heavy metal. The EP reached number two in the Radio 1 rock charts but whether it’s an improvement is a matter of opinion. This album could be a one-way ticket to obscurity.

Cpl Charlie Lloyd, RLC