Bastille, an English alternative rock band with frontman Dan Smith, dropped their first album “Bad Blood” September of last year. Featuring the Top 40 hit “Pompeii,” the disc has a melancholy tone, with three-dimensional lyrics – a refreshing change from the one-dimensional pop songs which dominate the radio.

The album features songs like “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “Oblivion,” and “Laura Palmer” which all have a similar ballad-like rhythm and existential implications. Although the track list begins strong, as the album progresses, the songs become predictable; there are nearly no substantial changes in tempo and many of the songs’ titles are also the first line of the lyrics.

Regardless, “Bad Blood” establishes a unique style for the up-and-coming alternative band Bastille, and with a platform like the megahit “Pompeii,” they are sure to become successful on the rock charts as well as the American Top 40.