popular music magazine once ran a feature on the songwriting phenomenon known as the "Digsy’s Dinner.” For those who don’t know, this was named after song from popular Mancunian beat combo Oasis’ debut album. It referred to a particular type of song afflicted with a rinky-dink, pogo-jump type beat throughout, which may throw in frequent lyrical references to Italian food and whose tone is conspicuously at odds with the rest of the album. Other examples cited were Travis’ "Tied to the 90s" and Supergrass’ "Mansize Rooster".


What does this have to do with The Thrills? Well, their debut starts with an unprecedented three (3! Trios! Trez!) “Digsy’s Dinner”s. While one has to admire their commitment to resurrecting an otherwise increasingly neglected musical style, is this a sensible way for an aspiring indie-rock band to announce their presence to the world?


Well, it helps that one of the three is a classic entry into the “Digsy’s” canon. I’m talking about the single "Big Sur" of course. Like pretty much everything on here, it sounds like a teenage Beach Boys playing melancholy country music - unlike pretty much everything on here though, it has a melody to die for. Which proves that The Thrills are able to craft something enjoyably and memorably tuneful from their derivative, sun-kissed retro-pop, they just don’t do it often enough.


Elsewhere, The (ironically named?) Thrills rein in their “Digsy’s Dinner” worship, to indulge their other love; forgettable mid-paced balladry. Songs like "Deckchairs and Cigarettes" and "’Til the Tide Creeps In" are virtually indistinguishable from one another. Sure, this is a very *accomplished* album by a band who can play their instruments: organs, pianos and strings sit gracefully beside each other, and there are some deft vocal harmonies, but The Thrills simply don’t have the songwriting skill or the sheer personality to make this anything more than a passable debut. Nothing here offends, but very little excites.


Apart from "Big Sur", there are moments where The Thrills move up a gear and develop some momentum. "One Horse Town" and "Your Love is Like Las Vegas" are lush, well-crafted pop songs. The second album should take moments like these as its starting point.


Like The Strokes, The Thrills have delivered a debut which has a few signs of real promise. Also like The Strokes, impressive acclaim and sales may convince them that they have delivered a masterpiece at their first attempt, and should only aim to equal it next time around. Let’s hope they realise that great strides are required from here on in, because there aren’t many reasons to keep listening for much longer on So Much for the City.