Local H - Twelve Angry Months

Hands up if the idea of a concept album documenting a year of post break-up recriminations and misery via the medium of some fairly MOR rock music sounds like a good idea. Well, as it turns out, the 12 fairly routine chunks of primitive reflection on show here only really serve to evoke sympathy with the much lamented “Michelle” instead of the protagonist songwriter. Local H is a guitar and drum duo plying straight up pop-rock in the vein of a bland(er) Foo Fighters although, being fair, the likes of Blur and Jesus Christ!... are not without their hooks. Yet sadly this album contains absolutely nothing in the way of new musical ideas and the two-piece thing has been done to death - with infinitely more inspiring results. Add to this the fairly naff, teen-angst premise, and Twelve Angry Months falls some way short of essential. [Chris Cusack]