As of late, a proverbial tide of well dressed, accented pop stars has been pouring over to the States from across the pond. Unsuspecting American teenagers have seemingly succumbed to this new breed of Anglophilia, and the appeal of boyish good looks, blatantly jolly lyrical content, and tight pants has surfaced yet again in modern culture. With all this considered, it is a very profitable time to find oneself musically inclined and of English descent.  Examples of this phenomenon can be closely observed by following the massive success of bands such as traditional ‘boy band’ One Direction, pop-punk bad boys 5 Seconds of Summer, and their darker, nostalgic playmates The 1975. New to the scene is a band, hailing from Manchester, England (legendary founding place of The Smiths), known as Rixton.

Despite the striking sonic similarities between the lads playing in Rixton and the afore mentioned acts made up of their countrymen, the group piece brings something new and fresh to the table. By blending together elements of Pop, R&B, and a little shameless Indie Rock, Rixton has managed to muster up an impressive array of well-crafted songs. The pleasingly nuanced vocals, efficiently layered guitars, and groove-centered, percussive backbeats that make up the viscera of their compositions steadily grow in appeal. Even as the songs progress, Rixton manages to weave together a highly stylized way of building the momentum to a manic pace by the end.

The debut single ‘Me and My Broken Heart’, exquisitely showcases all these qualities in a minimalistic, subtle way as the melody worms its way into the subconscious of the listener where I will be sure to stay for days upon end.

In essence, the young Manchester band has managed to architect a refreshingly fun and interesting sound; a feat that is far less than common within modern music. While their work covers a whole host of emotional topics such as heart ache and rejection it never reaches the angst ridden looming of popular teenage bands, and the fun pop-oriented hysteria never reaches a point where it feels too utterly cheesy. By carefully orchestrating sparse, but complex paradoxes of songs, Rixton has succeeded in juxtaposing a myriad of styles, moods, and genres into desperately enjoyable music. Be sure to pick up the new album, ‘Let the Road’ in January of 2015.