ES Music, 2010

Breathing Blue’s upbeat, driving pop-rock sounds a bit ordinary on first listen, but a closer examination suggests there’s something more clever lurking beneath the surface, especially in the frequent nifty guitar lines and the adventurous vocals. The New Jersey quintet don’t pull it together yet, but you get the feeling they might well on their next release.

Self-released, 2010

Fall Out Boy-inspired pop-rock from the Midlands, UK quartet. Handmade & Handgrown is earnest enough, and it’s clear what they’re aiming for – but they don’t have the catchiness or songwriting to pull it off yet.