The Script

The Script

The Script

(Sony BMG)

The Script are a twentysomething trio from Dublin who some are hailing as the new U2. But what they really sound like is a pleasing pop combination of former Celtic soulsters the Hothouse Flowers, a purer Maroon 5 or a youthful Police.

Their debut went straight to the top of the charts in both Ireland and Britain, largely due to the single, We Cry, which has the same kind of infectious appeal that James Blunt's You're Beautiful possessed, and the kind of annoyance that overplay could bring as well.

Sonically, the album is solid, largely due to the production experience that distinctive lead singer Danny O'Donoghue and guitarist Mark Sheehan have gleaned after working alongside hip hop producers the Neptunes and Dallas Austin. But with the exception of a few bouncy percussion flourishes, this is largely pedestrian white boy pop. It's not a stretch to imagine the Edge adding a few licks to ensure that the midtempo breakup song, Breakeven, is blasted out of a stadium at a U2 show. Sting would fit right in adding his helium vocals to the ska inflected Rusty Halo.