A lot of bands have it easier than The Subways have in recent years. Lead singer and guitarist Billy Lunn has had to have nodules surgically removed from his vocal cords, and he and bassist Charlotte Cooper have undergone an apparently amicable end to their relationship, which mercifully hasn't affected the band too drastically. Having said that, it's tempting to assume that such trials and tribulations might have contributed something to the title of the band's second album, All Or Nothing.The album begins by making a clear attempt to explode out of the speakers, in the form of 'Girls & Boys', with its hard rock stylings and a prominent early riff that is reminiscent of the classic chorus riff in Deep Purple's 'Space Truckin', released on Machine Head in 1972. 'Kalifornia' continues in a similar vein, but All Or Nothing quickly veers away from the hard rock direction soon after that. Songs like 'Alright' and 'Always Tomorrow' are significantly more populist in their outlook, as is the frenetic 'Shake! Shake!', in which Cooper joins in on the shouty, fun chorus.The bulk of the songs follow this template - typical song structures, built around Lunn's guitar and Josh Morgan's drums competing to see who can be loudest, joined by Cooper's bass and supporting vocals. The trouble is, that the songs do quickly feel like they literally are conforming to a set template. Only 'Move To Newlyn' and closer 'Lost Boy' try to mix things up, introducing a softer sound and acoustic rather than electric guitar, but too often these are marred by a somewhat saccharine feel as Lunn changes his voice in an attempt to suit the different feel of these songs - thus losing much of his vocal edge.A recurring gripe is the occasionally cringe-inducing lyrics - "You stitched me back together, sewing up the leather on my arms" is amongst the most overt clangers I've stumbled upon in a while, and does substantial damage to the credibility of its home, 'Lost Boy'. Mostly though, the lyrics are just a bit ordinary, which keeps them in line with much of the album - perky and exuberant, but ultimately not that inspiring. 55%Links The Subways [myspace]