Throughout history the United Kingdom has given us many great things. From crumpets to orthodontics, our lives would not be the same without its contributions to society. Yet its foremost contribution seems to be the incredible music it has given us over the years. Between the Beatles, the Sex Pistols and Oasis, the United Kingdom has influenced music unlike any other parliamentary based country. In the new millenium, it continues its trend with more superb music – namely, The Music.

Though most people outside the United Kingdom have not heard of The Music, the band has actually been around for quite a while. Forming in 2000, they released their debut single, “Take the Long Road and Walk It,” in May 2001. Within a year, they received a record deal from Hut Recordings, released a series of relatively successful EPs and put out their first full-length album overseas.

During it all, they toured extensively, gaining a reputation for being a great live band, the best since Led Zeppelin. So after all this success in Europe, The Music is ready to move into the United States with their self-titled debut, along with a Capitol Records deal to accompany it. But the question remains, what can The Music offer that no other British band can?

In terms of sound, The Music is quite diverse. They rely primarily on a mixture of alternative, ambient and techno, which in turn allows their music to be hard rocking but danceable at the same time. An example of this is their first single off the album, “Take the Long Road and Walk It.” As a newer version of their debut single, most would be led to believe that it exhibits the “all bark, no bite” policy of recycled songs on a band’s release list.

Well, those naysayers are wrong, for the song is stronger than ever. The guitars blast through like the ’70s work of The Who, and its vocals, provided by lead singer Robert Harvey, are gorgeously high pitched enough to give Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell a run for his money. The song’s content deals with meeting someone special, then having that special someone force you away for no apparent reason. Hence, all there is left to do is “take the long road and walk it.”

The best of the 10 tracks that make up The Music’s debut album is “The Truth Is No Words.” Driven by a most superior mix of guitar riff skill and a heart-pumping drumline, the song reverts back to the alternative-techno the band is so renowned for.

However, with the fervorous manner in which it is played, the song is most certainly the best way to get a party started. Its subject matter is party-oriented, dealing with the idea that you need not heed to the expectations of others. A similar party song is “Getaway.” Starting out as a Nintendo-esque piece of mellow techno, the song eventually explodes into all-out anthemic proportions, with mind-numbing distortion and a catchy chorus. As the song says, “everybody wants you to know,” and you can be glad you do.

All things considered, it is safe to say that most will enjoy The Music’s debut album. Though it pushes the envelope with its largely unconventional but catchy songs, it does seem to fit in today’s music scene quite well. Amidst all the angry rap-metal and solo pop acts that litter the scene, The Music provide a median between the two. Their songs hold great sonic power while being very danceable in the process. Needless to say, they prove once and for all that the best music comes out of the United Kingdom. In the end, you decide if The Music is good.