Down Marriott Lane

The Get Set wear their influences on their sleeve. From the referencing of two mod icons in the title (Stevie Marriott and Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces) to the cover shot of lads on scooters to their press release referring to the band's love of the Who, the Kinks, Northern soul, and Curtis Mayfield, one would think that the Get Set are strict mod revivalists. Instead they sound like Weezer with a dash of Oasis, and perhaps a dab of Third Eye Blind. Not that it is a bad thing. In fact, the Get Set write very catchy modern pop/rock songs and play them quite convincingly. Once you get over the shock of the modernity of the Get Set's sound, Down Marriott Lane's opening song, "Best Friend (I Was About to Be)," is a storming track with some great cheesy synth work and a lot of "yeah, yeahs" to sing along with. There is a good blend of rockers and ballads throughout, and while the record gets a little repetitive near the end, there are enough hooks and good songs to keep listeners happy. Think Green Day's Warning, another fine record that blends mod and first generation Brit-pop influences together and comes up with a melodic and energetic album that helps one feel better about the future of rock music. Unlike Warning, however, Down Marriott Lane lacks the one or two great songs that make an album really come alive. As it is, the record is a good beginning and a good listen, and there is nothing wrong with that.