If a team wins, why change it? No, your browser didn’t redirect you to The Sun’s sport section, and this is not a commentary on Capello’s latest line up choices. This is what I have to say to all those objecting that WE the Kings didn’t “progress” at all with their second effort “Smile Kid”.

The Florida’s pop punk quartet first album wasn’t a work of unique art and unreachable creativity, but did make a sunny, uplifting soundtrack for many teenager stories that year; all those teenagers and their younger brothers and sisters can be reassured that as soon as “Smile Kid” will hit their I-Pod with ‘She takes me high’, this record will do exactly what it says on the cover and bring once more a smile on their faces. If this was WE the Kings’s goal, congratulations! If they expect a Grammy, they may be disappointed, but I kind of have the feeling this is not the case.

Back to the music now, I already mentioned what a great display opener ‘She takes me high’ is for this album: catchy, bouncy, and totally uplifting. ‘Promise the stars’ keeps it up with another memorable chorus, while first single ‘Heaven can wait’, is an extremely radio friendly tune that, however, you get the feeling you’ve heard somewhere else before. I could go on like this for each and every song here in fact, so I’ll spare you details you can easily imagine. The lyrics are the obvious (but always working) cliche’ of girls, kisses, more girls and ‘Summer Love’, but don’t forget what percentage of your brain was occupied by this kind of thoughts when you were fourteen, and you may start to imagine what an excited audience will welcome this lot in their upcoming tour with You Me At Six.

There’s a track that stands out from the rest, in good or bad I’m not sure, you decide: ‘We’ll be a dream’ was recorded with Disney’s sensation Demi Lovato on vocals, which makes it even more sugar coated than the rest of the album, but more in a fairytale kind of way, maybe trying to get the next generation interested in view of their third release. Mind you, even my mum would probably dig this one.

And finally, the bonus track is radio hit ‘Check Yes Juliet’ from their self titled debut, to highlight that continuity and the fact that they could easily be part of the same album. Then again, no matter how many gourmet chocolates and caramel filled bars you try, sometimes a plain, comfy Cadbury Milk is just the best option.