Dartz!

Have you ever wondered what At-the Drive In would’ve sounded like if they were a pop punk band? Ignoring the old adage that some questions are best left unanswered is This Is My Ship, the full-length debut by UK trio Dartz! It’s not a bad album, but the band advertise their influences like a drunk who wants to whisper a secret to you but just ends up puking on your shoes. The off-key yelp of bassist/vocalist William Anderson doesn’t make anything easier to swallow either. Latecomers to the dance punk party, Dartz! aren’t likely to do much more than stoke a few fires already lit by Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand. There are moments of manic dissonant fun and jerky staccato rhythms aplenty to bob your head to, but unless you’re into hand-me-downs, you’re just going to feel like you’re dancing in some other dude’s pants.