**1/2 Symposium

ON THE OUTSIDE

(Red Ant)

Despite having cute tags like "brat-pop" foisted on them by the English weekly press, this young London-based quintet of former Catholic schoolboys transcend trendiness on a debut full-length marked by strong dynamics, quintessential teen urgency, and surprisingly savvy songwriting. High on atmospheric pop, riff-rock hooks, and naturalistic imagery (the repertoire includes "Farewell to Twilight," "Drink the Sunshine," and "Paint the Stars"), Symposium deliver wide-eyed gems that marry tender melodies to stomping alterna-rock.

Vocalist Ross Cummins handles heart-on-his-sleeve moments with a winsome choirboy charm, but he also manages a venomous snarl on "The Answer to Why I Hate You" and the ska upstrokes of "Puddles." Although a huge pool of songs (17) leads to a longish disc (over 70 minutes) that could've used a little editing, On the Outside's has energy to burn. On "Paint the Stars," Cummins sums up the band's optimistic approach to the future: "I'm not that scared of all the things I ought to be scared of/It's all so easy/It's easier than I thought it would be." Maybe it really is.

-- Mark Woodlief