Kids in Glass Houses - 'Peace' Review
rating: 3
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Kids In Glass Houses emerged in the wave of post Blink 182 pop-punk bands alongside You Me At Six, Simple Plan, All Time Low and Fall Out Boy. Hooks were falling from every pore as the albums 'Smart Casual' and 'Dirt' gained them increasingly more airplay and recognition. Then came the third album; 'In Gold Blood.' Hooks were still everywhere but the tone became more serious as the band seemed to be keen on moving towards a new direction. Frontman Aled Phillips said; "It'll be a concept record, a big, grown-up rock record. It's going to document a journey. I don't want to give too much away, but it's looking to be our most 'mature' album." However it turned out that the album's concept was to wear feathers at Sonisphere and try to be more like Lostprophets, and that's never a good thing. So here we are two years later as the band prepare to release their fourth full length, 'Peace.' Finally they have shed the thin guise of punk and are now an out and out guitar pop band, a welsh McFly if you will. Excluding bonus tracks 'Peace' totals ten tracks and checks in at a sprightly 35 minutes. This is a shameless collection of three minute pop songs with no promise for anything more than what is delivered. On this level the album is a success and will surely delight the band's fanbase. Title track 'Peace' opens the record with the chorus "Peace in the valley and sex in my soul, death to my body bury me in rock and roll." It sums up everything the band want to be, melodic, energetically paced guitar pop. 'Drive' is a solid comeback single. 'V.I.P' sounds like a B-side from their previous album, 2011's 'In Gold Blood' which is no bad thing but is a little underwhelming after a two year break. 'Black Cloud' is a solid pop song and made for a good choice as a promotional teaser track which was posted online before the album's release. A lack of originality hampers the album as the mid point approaches but it becomes most apparent in the chorus and offbeat of 'Set Me Free' which seems to suggest the band really enjoyed 'Planetary (GO!)' by My Chemical Romance. Surely a cover would have been sufficient.