Songs For The Tempted

Lock up your daughters, impound your sisters and tie your mother down – The 4 Of Us are in town, bowing sugar-kisses to the willful and the weak, to those who can resist everything except temptation.

Hailing from Newry, these boys are cleverly taking the sly road to world domination; each step carefully planned, never a foot out of place. They've already managed to produce three highly impressive, and infectious, singles so far this year (all present and correct here!), and though this album can feel slightly over-cooked at times, ultimately Songs For The Tempted lives up to all expectations. Here's an album so up-front it'll knock down your front door and pin you to the wall; so subtle it'll slip in through an open window while you sleep and wake up beside you!

The album kicks off with a distant guitar riff, like someone playing 'Shaft' in another room, before stabs of brass trumpet the manic pop thrill of 'Drag My Bad Name Down', Brendan's sultry swoon managing to out-Cole Lloyd himself, as his vengeance boils and spills over the frantic rhythm below. 'Food For Temptation' rolls along nicely over a bouncing piano (à la Professor Longhair/Dr John), and contains the kind of melodic punch that George Michael would kill for. The song ends with an outburst of vocal screams – this boy can't stand the frustration any longer. He wants it al, and he wants it 5 Minutes Ago!

The by now familiar (to anyone with ears and a radio, that is!), 'Mary' provides a temporary breathing space, as the Beatlesque tale of our unfortunate heroine unravels over a sugar-sweet reggae lilt, with layers of brooding synth poured over the top like honey. Deceptively simple and as sweet as candy, this song could nest in the smallest of brains. Clockwork guitar, a hop-and-skip beat and breathless vocals (was this guy jogging during the song, or what?) sweat it out on 'One Strong Hammer', while 'Jolene' (no relation to Dolly's) boasts a wonderful bass line and the weakest lyric on the album ("Jolene, Jolene/Jolene and the rock machine"… deep, huh?).

If you an imagine Dylan doing a collaboration with ABC during his born-again period you may have some idea of what 'Lightning Paul' sounds like; the story of St. Paul set against a solid pop groove, it should have them bopping in the aisles everywhere (Holy Saviour Shuffle, anyone?). And what sort of reaction is Brendan going to get when he pleads "I need someone to hold me tight/I need someone to throw off her clothes tonight" during 'I Just Can't Get Enough' to a bunch of wide-eyed girls at a concert?

The going gets decidedly easier on the breezy, freewheelin' 'Washington Down', as the band drift blissfully off into Nick Drake country with a cautionary tale from a father to a son. By contrast, the menacing 'Kill You' threatens to explodes as Brendan, spitting blood and teeth, teasingly states "Some enjoy it/some deny it", twisting the song's sister sentiment upside down and inside out!

Police sirens herald the opening of 'Home Is Where The Heart Is', where the band reflect briefly on the North, a homeland where there's "Thieves on the rooftops/Police on the streets". But the band manage to save the best till last with the haunting 'Christine', a song not so much about any particular girl, more a state of mind…

The 4 Of Us look like pop stars, sound like pop stars, even smell like pop stars (don't ask me) – so they should be Plumbers! No sorry, I mean they should be Pop Stars! File under PP.

For Perfect Pop!