You Me At Six - Hold Me Down

To underestimate angst rock is a dangerous practice. To those who have escaped adolescence in one piece, the aimless yelping of the latest mosh-by-numbers emo band can be downright grating. But, for the those still caught up in the personal hell of acne and first crushes, it offers a lucrative shoulder to cry on, as Twlight creator Stephenie Meyer would surely point out.

You Me At Six are a case in point; any of the dozen tracks of Hold Me Down, despite being flawlessly executed, could just as easily have been knocked out by teen-adored Hoobastank or Taking Back Sunday. That being said, this kind of music has a rabid audience, and tracks like Trophy Eyes will no doubt prove an anthem for many a floppy-fringed teen. If they’d only been a few years older, though, they would have The Arctic Monkeys to idolise... you can’t help feeling these kids have been short-changed. [Joe Barton]