Vatican DC suffer from an identity crisis, such are the amount of different genres they experiment with on this, their debut album. Either that or they’re covering all the bases, attempting to appeal to a cross-section of the music-loving public rather than targeting one particular type of sound. Whatever way you want to look at it, Make It Ride is less a cohesive whole and more a disparate selection of tracks.

So where on ‘Information’ lead singer Irish Steve sounds like Paul Weller backed by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler, on the following track ‘Danger to Myself’ Vatican DC come over all Kaiser Chiefs.

Elsewhere, they resemble bands they’re previously opened for, the likes of Bloc Party, The Prodigy, and The Rakes. And on closer ‘The End Is At The Beginning’, IS’s evokes one of his stated influences, Terry Hall, but weirdly Fun-Boy-Three-era Hall rather than his more celebrated work with The Specials.

Vatican DC first surfaced in 2003 as a duo with Steve joined by Daniel Lindegren on vocals, rhythm and bass guitar. After being hyped for their bedroom-studio-produced ‘Pink Hotel’ by those usual suspects, Zane Lowe and the NME, the two decided to take their show on the road. So they recruited former Menswear bod, Chris Gentry on lead guitar. Who in turn recommended Tal Amiran for drumming duty.

Produced by Eliot James who, wouldn’t you happen to know, has previously collaborated with Bloc Party and The Futureheads, the album’s mixed by Cenzo Townshend. Yes, that Cenzo Townshend. The one whose CV includes stints remastering Kaiser Chiefs and Klaxons.

Make It Ride makes for a promising debut. But if Vatican DC are to fulfill on that pledge, they’re going to have to start subscribing to the-less-is-more school of musical philosophy. It would help if Irish Steve took to channelling just one of his heroes rather than all of them.

(3¾/5)