With a huge, mainly female teenage fanbase, swollen by tour supports of One Direction, Australia’s 5 Seconds of Summer are often referred to as a boyband. It’s a label they’re keen to shed – much of their second studio album shuns the Busted-esque, cheeky pop moments of their debut in favour of a slightly more mature sound. So Jet Black Heart is a brilliantly OTT emo ballad, while All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth helps craft the sublime Catch Fire (which, ironically, sounds a lot like One Direction). Elsewhere, it’s the pop-punk chant-alongs that feel forced, lead single She’s Kinda Hot sounding too contrived among the breezy lilt of San Francisco and the string-laden epic, Vapor. They should step outside of their comfort zone more often.
