Belfast rockers Pay*ola have already played support to acts like Status Quo and Audioslave, and it seems apt – although they have not yet sold a significant number of records, their music is built for the stadium.
The formula employed on Try Everything 2wice is straightforward and wholly unoriginal, yet thoroughly enjoyable: monster riffs, beefy production and lyrics so cliché-ridden that Feeder would dismiss them for lacking depth.
But they certainly cover all bases impressively: the sweeping ballad ‘Carter’s Song’ is a perfect lighters-aloft number, while ‘We Are The Beautiful People’s title refrain is so endearingly cheesy that it cries out to be bellowed in unison by a crowd of thousands. And let’s not forget to include a deliciously overblown, concert-closing tearjerker, which duly arrives in the form of ‘Before You Go’.
Indeed, the album’s 12 tracks contain enough anthemic stadium bluster to comfortably hold any hard-rock-loving audience’s attention.
Pay*ola are not restless innovators, but the Ulstermen are slick, accomplished professionals who excel within their sphere.
Not everyone will take this album to their heart. If you're looking for a record to slip on between marathon Autechre-appreciation sessions, then perhaps you should look elsewhere. But, if you thought The Darkness’ success was the most exciting musical development of recent times, you may have found further cause for celebration.