Thee Unstrung - 'Who Runs The Show And Gems...' (Oswaldo Muggins) Released 28/11/05

Thee Unstrung are followers, hanging on to the coat tails of the supposed luminaries of the current British music scene. This limited edition 7 track EP is no different to singles such as 'Contrary Mary' in borrowing heavily from the likes of Doherty, Barat plus a whole host of other derivative bands and only manages to sound like a third rate Yeti, never mind The Libertines. They should really have left most of these songs where they found them.

They are a couple of glimpses of something akin to originality on this mini album especially on the East European polka feel of 'A Masters In Drug Taking' which matches anything off Babyshambles 'Down In Albion' for its rambling shambles and poetic lyrics. And the off kilter, Masonic chanting of 'Falling Out Of My Tree' does its best to raise the whole thing above the mediocre. But all too often we are left with insipid, 'Ooo aren't we making such decidedly British pop' drivel on song such as title track 'Who Runs The Show' and 'Do Dum De Dum Do'.

Thee Unstrung aren't the worst band around, its just seems they are so busy trying to sound like other people. They don't produce anything new, exciting or decidedly interesting and what we get instead is actually the discarded sub-standard scraps from the cutting room floor of several other bands. No gems here, more like Diamonique.