Following the release of their successful 2004 debut, Up All Night, Anglo-Swedish quartet Razorlight return with their self-titled sophomore effort, a strong collection of concise, alt-rock tunes that finds vocalist/guitarist Johnny Borrell, guitarist Björn Åquen, bassist Carl Dalemo and drummer Andy Burrows storming through a quick set of 10 memorably tuneful songs.

At 35 minutes in length and with no individual songs longer than five minutes, veteran producer Chris Thomas wisely plays to the band's strengths, deftly capturing their Britpop sensibilities. Thomas, best known for his work with INXS, Roxy Music, the Sex Pistols, the Pretenders and Pink Floyd, gets great performances throughout from the foursome and delivers a disc that boasts crystal-clear sound.

In the forefront throughout are Borrell's vocals matched by the jagged guitar lines of Åquen. The disc's opening track, "In the Morning," presents this clearly. The hook is tight and the counterpoint vocals at the end of the song are a nice touch.

"America" alternates a gentle verse with an anthem sort of chorus. The band’s Britpop sound, in particular the guitar and drumming, come to the fore on “Before I Fall To Pieces.” The closing (and longest) track, “Los Angeles Waltz,” features some fine lyrics, a creepy organ in the background and some excellent, guitar-driven music -- one of the album’s better tracks.

But the band branches out from the usual Britpop fare here. "Who Needs Love" and it's repeated piano line, brief guitar break and mostly, Borrell's soulful vocal delivery and lyrics, calls to mind classic oldies from the 60's. Borrell playfully calling on Burrows to bring in a drum part towards the end of the tune is another cool moment. “Hold On” follows this formula, though somewhat less successfully. And “Back To The Start” captures the band in a reggae mood.       

While Borrell's outrageous press claims and feuds with rival bands have garnered most of the band's headlines, in the end, it's the music that does the talking. And with this disc, the music speaks louder than the gossip pages ever will.