Delays – Everything’s The Rush (Album Sampler)

Released: 28^th April 2008

Record label: Polydor, (distributed by Wild)

Delays’s press release describes them as ‘British rock’s best kept secret’, which may be true, although a quick glance at my past playlist reveals I played their track Stay Where You Are on my second ever show on Rare FM way back in November 2005. If Delays can capture the likes of The Feeling’s audience, perhaps they will make it big(ger). Offering joyous and unashamedly happy pop – but respectable pop – music, Delays are a breath of fresh air. Hooray is a bright and breezy affair, as is Keep It Simple. Touch Down really stands out and wouldn’t sound out of place as background music on Smallville – that sounds like an insult, but I happen to think Smallville picks its music well. Love Made Me Visible is the calmer track one needs to break things up on a pop rock album. Still lively, it is well-placed on the track-list slowing the pace down before the final track, Pieces. Pieces is even more of a melancholy affair, as Rosé is for The Feeling, and although it shows off Delays’s musical ability, I feel the sampler would have been better served ending on a more upbeat track. However, that’s just me nit-picking, this is an enjoyable body of music and it will be interesting to see what 2008 has to offer for Delays.