When a band with one album is chosen by Paul McCartney to open for him in his big return to Shea Stadium (at the new Citi Field), and by U2 to open for them as they start their tour in Dublin, you would guess that these lads from Dublin are pretty good. The fact that, of the 10 songs on their CD, 6 have gone Number One in Europe, would confirm the 'pretty good' status, and get them towards 'really good'. Hear them live, and you will know that their performances are often better than the recorded versions, and singer Danny O'Donohue is an amazing, soulful, singer who will have you thinking Bono one minute and then do a dead-on Sting the next. His range is amazing and his Celtic soul sound is a welcome change to the dreary 'Boom Boom GaGa' sound of Pop Radio these days.

The history here is two of the members (Danny and Mark) were in a boy band called MyTown that had a huge signing bonus and then flopped. They were supposed to be an Irish version of NSYNC. After that they went to the US and worked with a lot of the top R&B producers and honed their craft. Mark is supposed to be one of the best choreographers in Ireland, but now stands still and plays the guitar while singing background or rapping. The boys are all jeans and work boots or sneakers, and the glitter is long gone. It works and they should be around for a long while.

Favorite songs include: We Cry, The Man Who Can't Be Moved, Breakeven, Before the Worst, Fall For Anything, Talk You Down, and the End Where I Begin. Good, but not Great (for me): Rusty Halo. Many friends LOVE it though.... Danny is definitely channeling Sting on that track, and the bass line is definitely Sting-like. This could fit on a Police album without modification. Not a fan of: If You See Kay...they are a little too clever here (think of each word as a letter). Kills the song for me. (I wonder if Britney's writers pilfered this idea when they wrote If You Seek Amy...? Creepy to think of little girls singing along...) The songs are a blend of pop, soul, rap, rock, and R & B. I would say the lyrics, which are really important to me, are not as poignant as U2, The Clash, Dylan, etc. but definitely a cut-above the generic pop song, and the band clearly tried not to write a whole album of love songs. We Cry is about how life can trash people's dreams and be brutally difficult for many. Fall For Anything is about developing boundaries (You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything), but in a boy-girl social context. Rusty Halo is about how fear and the rat-race can l overwhelm a person's spirit and cause them to forget the right things.

9 out of 10 ain't bad, to paraphrase Jim Steinman. Everybody I have told about this album has come back to me raving about it, and have become fanatical fans.The bottom line is the songs are very well crafted, (mostly) love songs, that are extremely catchy, well sung, with good lyrics, that you'll be singing along to for weeks. Get this album... you will love it. A solid 4 and a half stars for me. And try to catch a performance online or live, you will be blown away by how good they are in person, often with just an acoustic guitar and box to bang on...

Really enjoyed the songs "The man who can't be moved" and "breakeven." I almost didn't buy it based on the reviews from this site. One person said it had a lot of foul language. I have listened to the album many times, often not even removing it from the player, and have only found one bad word.

Good sounding band, reminds me a lot of Maroon 5.

Hope this helps...

This CD Is so good with It's grooves and melodies. I do not usually review CD's but hearing this music and not seeing a single review had me troubled about the groups exposure In the States. If given the right advertising It could become a smash here the way I hear It Is In other Countries.

This trio rocks and the molodies just flow.

Do yourself a favor and listen to "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" or "Breakeven" 2 totally hit material. And maybe you have your own favorites soon.

I really do highly recomend this CD. Watch these guys!!

I don't have the bonus with DVD but I wish I did.

This review Is for just the regular CD.

The Script's eponymous debut album breaks down many barriers which were probably built around this band: mainly, the assumption that their one-hit-wonder song, "Breakeven", is where it starts and where it ends for them. However, it has been years since I've seen a band so successfully break out of it's shell and... well, go way beyond just breaking even.

The album features an electrifying mix of pop, rock, rap, and electronic influences. It is very easy to distinguish one song from another because they are so diverse, yet the album as a whole is unified and doesn't feel jumbled. Note: I use the word "rap" as a style of fast-paced singing... think Jason Mraz, not 50 Cent.

Here is a track-for-track breakdown review.

1. We Cry (10/10) - A fast-paced account of modern day society and it's demands, very moving. [1st single]

2. Before The Worst (8/10) - Catchy, yet more generic pop/rock song. Nice hook and bridge.

3. Talk You Down (9/10) - Starts out slow and picks up fast, this song is quite a ride. Relationship troubles, etc. - will be stuck in your head! [4th single]

4. The Man Who Can't Be Moved (10/10) - Lyrically intelligent, very relatable song and a much softer rock sound. [2nd single]

5. Breakeven (9/10) - Fun, nice pace, very catchy. Understandably the band's most successful single. [3rd single]

6. Rusty Halo [8/10] - Not my favorite, this is an oddball in the mix but a nice change in style from tracks 4 and 5. Has a better aftertaste.

7. The End Where I Begin (10/10) - Self-explanatory. A very melodic, beautiful song. Song changes mid-way, overall great balance of ambience and rap.

8. Fall For Anything (8/10) - Fast-paced rap/rock, catchy but feels more like a formula song. Still good.

9. If You See Kay (9/10) - Undeniable word being spelled out (eff you see kay)... awkward if not. Anyway, this song is great and one of the album's best.

10. I'm Yours (10/10) - Very emotional; brings out the best in the singer's voice. Great romance rock, DO NOT listen to this if you have recently had a break-up, some kind of family tragedy, or if you are doing anything where intense emotions would be involved (unless you want to cry).

11. Anybody There (10/10) - Great choice in a finale, a nice song to balance the feel after "I'm yours". Upbeat, fast-paced, The Script has made a solid finale.

Overall (10/10) - A very diverse mix of sounds and styles, there are songs to wake up to, songs to fall asleep to, and songs to play throughout your day. The Script is an album you'll hold onto for a long time, and a band which you'll be looking for music from again in a few years.

I saw this band on a "Live at Abbey Road" segment on the Sundance channel. They are fantastic! They performed "We Cry" and "A Man Who Won't Be Moved" and the songs just wouldn't get out of my brain. I looked online and found some interviews and video's of this Irish Band and was hooked. I love this CD and highly recommend it to anyone.