• Band / Artist : The Ruling Party – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Pop
• Sample Track Download : Nothing Wrong
• Buy CD : N/A
• Buy Digital Download : mySpace
• Rating : 9 out of 10

I love it when I come across a new band and their album just blows me away. So was the case with The Ruling Party. I’d heard a few of their tracks and liked them immensely, but many times it’s the case that 25% of an album is the real cream and the rest is a mix of really good and OK. This is not the case with this 9 track album.

The album opens with the incredibly catchy “No Place to Hide” and it’s hard not to compare the overall sound to the 1990’s band No Doubt. For me though, No Doubt were very much a one trick pony, with their breakout hit, “Don’t Speak” spending 16 weeks at number 1, on the Bill Board hot 100. Of all the 9 tracks on this album, there is not a single dud, it’s 100% well crafted pop. “Can I Be” is a slower track compared to the opener, but it has that really well crafted feel to it. “Nothing Wrong” is again another slower track, which rolls and lilts, showcasing the lead singer, Jen Sencion’s voice. “If We Had Yesterday” reminds me of a totally different artist, Dido, quite a leap from No Doubt, but the lyrical phrasing is very similar. “Every Time You Walk Away” is in a very similar vein to the opening track and is definitely the overall sound the band seems at their most comfortable.

Maybe I’m hearing things, but “Nightmares” seems to have a sound byte from The Six Million Dollar Man, It’s just a brief 2 second or so segment, but it’s definitely there. “Don’t Make Me” has a very Police / Elvis Costello (80’s era) feel to it and just goes to show this bands versatility. “Falling Down” again shows a different side to the band and is probably the weakest track for me on the album, but again a weak track on this album, is still a very good track. “Now You Know” finishes what is best described as a wonderfully well rounded and accomplished album.

The only downside I had with the album, is the production. There is something very lo-fi about some of the tracks, which shouldn’t be the case with an album of this kind. I just feel that a fuller production would only go to make it an even more killer album.

Conclusion : This is an album I thoroughly enjoyed. A very radio friendly band, that is surely just inches away from exploding in to mainstream recognition.