ersonal flaw #286: I’m a sucker for similarities. All it takes is one frigid marketing major, a witty slogan, a few flashy pictures and a comparison or two to an established product I already know and love, and I can't help but swoon. Much in the same way, if a band is touted as being a disciple of Joy Division, my Amazon pre-order is theirs to be had. Sure it's sometimes easy to be skeptical of hype, but when that hype is tailored to our personal loves, it's hard not to fall victim.

Exploiting the power of comparisons, it’s standard practice for a record label to market one of its bands as a culmination of two or more bands; as a band whose music approximates "[respected band x] meeting [respected band y]". You can't argue too much with the results—name-dropping can create buzz and consequential profits. But if a band doesn't do justice to its influences or doesn't put an original spin on its respective predecessors, they put themselves within the rifle scopes of critics who are all too ready to shoot down their music with the “rip-off” angle.

Thus, it might not have been the wisest of moves for Hidden Agenda Records to smack a big white sticker on the promotional copy of Thirdimension's latest album to note the band's "era-spanning U.K. influence." Not only does the claim invite the listener to listen hard for what those influences might be, but it also fails to do justice to the original, quality moments within Permanent Holiday. Overall, an uninspiring use of post-1990 Brit-rock influence paves way to the album's occurring mediocrity. But nestled within the release are a few tracks that beg multiple listens.

The most impressive of which is "Holiday". The song opens with a bouncing, Peter Hook-ish bass line accompanied by plinking, high-end piano notes that give off a distinct oriental vibe. Effortlessly sliding through key changes, lead vocalist, Bjorn Stegmann's melodies glide through the tracks gritty guitar dueling and thumping percussion. Another stand-out, "Silver Eye" circles analog synth and a watery bass line around a staccato'd piano riff that dates back to the action-sitcom theme songs that the Go! Team also uses so effectively. The third great track to utilize an addictive and well-produced piano figure, "Rear View Mirror", builds upon a springy, reverb-soaked piano melodies and double-tracked vocals.

Admittedly, these three songs do resemble some elements from the past—it’s nearly impossible to create a pop-rock oriented sound that has yet to be touched. But, even though influences can be pinned to individual instrumental figures, the tracks, as a whole, are distinctly Thirdimension. The band creates a pleasantly unique concoction of British radio-friendly rock with a host of the influences listed above, all wrapped in the warm, splashing atmosphere provided by the beautiful, glossy production.

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the album fails to capture this consensus originality. "Save Me", for one, hits a little too close to Coldplay's "The Scientist". Within the mid-tempo number, mournful piano joins lyrics about a man being taken away to an asylum and are delivered with unmistakable Chris Martin vocal intonations (it is much more than of a copy than, say, "Karma Police" tastefully borrowing from "Sexy Sadie"). Other songs such as "Ex-Song" and "Last Real People" resemble unreleased Noel Gallagher material, while "Mondaymachine" sounds like diluted B-sides from Park Life. The track that evokes the worst memories from the past, though, might be the opener "Black and Blue". The acoustic driven "I never knew-ew-ew / About the black and blue-ue-ue" chorus will undoubtedly sprout Gin Blossoms from your speakers.

None of these songs are inherently horrible, but it’s a shame that Thirdimension fails to apply the same ingenuity to the whole album's arrangements that they execute on "Rear View Mirror", "Holiday" and "Silver Eye". Nothing distinguishes these tracks from being anything more than a smorgasbord of lackluster 90s pop-rock. But considering this is Thirdimension's second album, the band has plenty of time to improve upon their weaknesses. Hopefully, they will hone in on their sporadic greatness, while filtering out the rehashed slop.