Join With Us - The Feeling

Contrary to common belief, I don't hate The Feeling. Granted I see no particular reason why they're so popular. Maybe it's becuase is a musical world where everyone seems at pains to be seen as credible, The Feeling toss that all aside in order to serve up catchy pop tunes.

The influences (ELO, Supertramp, Queen) are as clearly evident this time around as they were on Twelve Steps From Home which means that fans of the debut album are likely to continue their love affair with the band whilst those who, well, hate them are going to find nothing to change their minds.

The title track encapsulates the whole, ahem, feeling in five minutes. Some will find the mix of tick-tocking clocks, Queen-esque guitar solos and show tune hystrionics (the end is disturbingly similar to the Phantom Of The Opera gone heavy metal) hugely appealing and catchy, others might think it's a case of throwing everything but the sink at the kitchen wall but finding out that none of it sticks.

There's probably enough in the way of decent pop hits to ensure that they don't go the way of Orson (who's recent album famously sold less than 10,000 copies in the UK) or the Scissor Sisters (with even Jake Shears lamenting the flop of Ta Dah) but the law of diminishing returns is already being applied.