The Arms Akimbo

Way back in January, The Arms Akimbo, fresh off the release of its You Want To EP, performed live on The Current. The song “Giving Up For Good” reeled in just under three minutes and showed a band comfortable in its skin. Rather than bursting with the nervous nature of aspiration, the three-piece had attained a surprising level of rhythmic tightness after less than a year together. The song, with a powerful, unapologetically poppy hook and a frenetic solo by guitarist Chris Dillon, displayed the aptitude and energy of a band poised to rise.

For the most part, the group’s self-titled LP continues the trend. There is little not to like about The Arms Akimbo—the music is damn catchy, and this album reflects that. Twelve tracks toe the three-minute line, all fluid, sunny, and heavily Brit-pop-influenced. The Arms Akimbo has made a pretty box of little ditties, complete with harmony-laden, supremely hummable vocals.

However, something about this album seems a bit too easy, as if the band has taken few chances musically. The result sometimes behaves like a declawed kitten: It’s lovable, but pawing and playful where it should be feral. The record’s launching point, “We’ve Tried Everything,” “The Kids Still Love Us,” and “You Want To,” arguably the three strongest tracks, hammer through at a spirited pace that should be carried out to the very end. Instead, the languid easy-listening feel of the next six songs slowly bring this vigor to a halt, and the album fails to reach ramming speed again. It momentarily regains its footing near the end with “Giving Up For Good,” but the group doesn’t fully bring out the edgy energy of its Brit-pop forebearers, or even of its American indie-rock influences, like The Strokes. The band’s sound ends up having as much to do with Elvis Costello or The Jam as it does with a band like Rooney, or even Fastball. This would be fine, except that after being given a glimpse into something great, one can’t help but hope for more.

The Arms Akimbo plays Lee’s Liquor Lounge on Thursday, Dec. 23.