4

And it was all Marroooooooooooooooon (5).

One has to admit that the braille on the front cover is a nice touch. [Ed - Yet copied from those rock stalwarts Blackbud.] The Upper Room doesn't yet have a sound to call their own. The band is obviously influenced by The Killers and The Bravery. All Over This Town is soft rock - vocals infused with delicious delight adorn a guitar heavy track. The instruments are played to perfection and the basic theme of the consequences of an overactive rumour mill in a small, suburban setting are played out to full as the song weaves, ducks, dives and jaunts into your psyche. You can dance along at home, or simply sit and hold a sing-a-long within the privacy of your lounge.

BMG have clearly put their money where their enormous mouth once was. BMG bet their money on Maroon 5 and - for now at least - the dollars have dried up and that particular male ensemble continue to be obsessed with songs about someone being loved by someone else. Will The Upper Room redress the balance and bring fame and fortune back to their masters? All Over This Town might be a pleasant song but it is also the warm-up act. If you saw this track performing stand-up comedy before the main act made their appearance, you might not stay for the main event. All Over This Town is a debut rich in wonder and expectation but lacking in applause. The Upper Room should release new material as soon as possible, for we will be waiting.