Growing pains and coming of age create a heart-swell on the genre-blurring debut LP from Manchester trio . combines the confessional rapping of , the guitar of , and the strong songwriting and production of , resulting in an excitingly different sonic option. is frequently compared to ( ), but aside from the fact that they are two British lads with buzz cuts who can rap, 's music veers closer to the intensity of at his most confessional, at his most wistful, and at their most boundary-smashing. can be neatly divided into thirds, with each portion thematically and sonically satisfying in different manners. The first four tracks are urgent and yearning, allowing 's heartfelt lyrics to wax nostalgic on tales of youth and memory. "Ballad" is the knockout highlight, a poignant and earnest number that seethes with frustration and rage. "Caravan" heaps on the sentiment, longing for simpler times when video games, sleepovers, and young love were life's biggest concerns. The midsection is the energetic heart that gives life to the album. "Mountains" is their big number, which includes the best singalong chorus that never wrote. A pair of rousing ditties -- "Half the Man" and "Further" -- inspire body-rocking and head-nodding, the few moments on the album that are purely fun. In the concluding third, go inward once again, tapping into a more emotional well. "All Too Familiar" is deeply introspective, almost desperate in its earnestness, while "Have It All" and "Let Us Down" are moving tearjerkers. After a journey from heartfelt innocence to powerful anthems, cap off the brooding coda with "Mr. 1 & Mr. 2," a rage-filled street tale that is packed with tension and 's closest tribute to on . With so many sonic pieces to this puzzle, the rap-meets-indie-guitar idea might sound jarring. But at the core, they are both forms of confession, stripping the bells and whistles away, baring the soul. Combining youth, hope, and a dose of gravity, is a strong debut from a fearless trio unafraid to toy with genre while staying true to their message. ~ Neil Z. Yeung