Gym Class Heroes return with their sophomore album ‘The Quilt’ a sequel to 2006’s ‘As Cruel As School Children’. Expect no great departure from their proper debut album, a plethora of pop rap tunes that are pitched at the lighter end of the market. Is this a bad thing though?

Hell no.

Travis McCoy remains the incorrigible frontman regaling us with his life tales and foibles but he does it with a likeable glint in his eye and a “no real harm done” kind of ethos that might not be fashionable in politically correct circles but when you splay it across an appealing musical backdrop you just about get away with it.

Musically it’s an infectious blend, aspects of European electronics sit with US pop/rock buzz saw guitars and of course a somewhat glitchy blend of hip hop. Perhaps with a little bit more variety than it predecessor after all. Of course an additional two years on the clock with a hefty chunk of success under their belt has left the band with access to some of the biggest players in the industry right now. Busta Rhymes makes a welcome appearance early on with his cartoon vocal gymnastics which if anything show Travis’s shortcoming as a rapper but only briefly (come on, he is taking on a pro here). Then of course there is flavour of the month Estelle guesting on the opening track (Guilty As Charged).

Not all the material comes off without incident, Live Forever (Fly With Me) digs up Daryl Hall for a guest appearance and frankly it reeks a little, you can mine the past for influences and often these days it will stand you in good stead but push the envelope too far and you will reap the consequences. Hall’s warblings sound like he is in pain. I was, during the listening experience.

Aside from this quibble though The Quilt is a pretty solid offering, of course the hip hop fraternity I suspect are going to come down on this like a ton of bricks because of it’s pop heavy sentiments but my views on purists are generally sour anyway. It’s overall good fun, fairly polished and while not quite as consistent as their debut there isn’t much in it to call between them in terms of quality.