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You Me At Six have always been a band turning heads. Since their arrival on the UK scene back when they were just 16 and 17 years old, they've gone from strength to strength, with a not-so-surprising amount of flack in tow. And in turn, they have claimed that new album 'Hold Me Down' will finally prove to the doubters that they are worthy of this success. In fact, they've even gone so far as to say this album is make or break for the band. So, there seems to be a lot riding on these twelve songs.

Honestly, if you're expecting an Americanised pop-punk blend of songs, similar to those of their debut 'Take Off Your Colours', you're probably in for a bit of a shock. As the ending chords of 'The Consequence' echo, it dawns on you that this is the not quite the same band we once knew. With such a magnificently strong opener - which features spine-tingly screaming from The Blackout's very own Sean Smith - it only seems apt to sit back, abandon any preconceptions and see what this band have been able to produce.

And the answer? They have produced something really quite incredible.

The album itself comes at a time when most bands doing the rounds have opted for a little extra help with their song writing, and therefore instantly, it feels fresher and more original than a good handful of 2009's offerings. The songs themselves sound more mature, and more widely influenced than anything from their debut, yet, the band have still managed to keep the youthful feel strong.

Sounding tighter and more balanced than ever, the band control and pace vocalist Josh Franceschi through songs that contain some of the most impressive lyrics he's written yet. The songs sound as grown up and thought-through as the content itself, working to produce a kind of intensity that has been lacking in some of their previous work so far. 'Playing The Blame Game' is as slick as Panic! At The Disco's early work, 'Underdog' sits pretty as a perfect single and 'Safer To Hate Her' wouldn't be out of place on any big band's latest release.

But the big pop-punk choruses that the band own are still there (especially in 'There's No Such Thing As Accidental Infidelity', which is simply enhanced by the second Welsh appearance of the record, from Kids In Glass Houses' Aled Philips) and Franceschi's new found confidence in his vocal range make songs like 'Stay With Me' that little bit more electric.

Yet, it's in the closing track 'Fireworks' that the true potential of this band is displayed: as one of the more slow songs on the album, it feels like one of the most honest and delicate, making it a brave choice to close with.

So here it is; the album that is make or break. A far cry from the You Me At Six that once released the teen party anthem 'Save It For The Bedroom', but a band who have produced twelve songs great enough to make even the worst of cynics look at them with brand new eyes.

Released 11th January 2010 on Virgin Records.