The Dead 60s - Time to Take Sides

Upon the release of The Dead 60s' eponymous album in 2005, the band was ultimately accused of stealing too many ideas from the likes of The Clash and The Specials. Unfortunately, this follow-up doesn't stray too far from the derivative path of the Liverpudlian quartet's debut. For the most part, Time to Take Sides ticks all the boxes of clichéd power-pop: a slightly hoarse but ultimately soulless vocal; a punky riff dropped here and there amongst melodic tunes with rather bland lyrics to make the whole thing feel more edgy; and a pristine production job to ensure a radio-friendly sheen. It's not all bad, though. Tracks like Desert Sun and Last Train Home contain enough interesting ideas to just about drag them out of the mire, but ultimately it seems like the 60s don't really know what they want to be, so they sound like a bit of this, some of that, and not very much like themselves. Time to take sides, indeed. [Graeme Blaikie]