Tokio Hotel: Humanoid

Say "German music" and most people will think 'Rammstein', with only the very knowledgeable opting for the likes of 'Atari Teenage Riot' or 'Wir sind Helden'.

Once people realise they're not from Japan though, all that will change with the advent of Tokio Hotel: a perfectly sculpted pop-rock band with a straight grasp on the English language and as unique a sound and style as you could envision from a band of teenagers heavily indebted to first-point-five wave emo.

Their second English-language studio-album (third overall) was recorded in both languages and is clearly positioned to attempt a takeover of the world. Germans trying to take over the world.... where are the Americans when you need them, not the first time such a question has been asked.

The track "Monsoon" has bought a lot of attention focus towards Tokio Hotel, and it's clear from Humanoid that they intend to waste none of it. From the very start, it's an album perfect in its aims of distilling pixel perfect pop into a cannister. The occasional sojourn into electroclash (such as on "Dogs Unleashed") casts a small shadow over the meadow, but considering the strength of all which lies around it, it's easily overlooked.

Picking out the highlights on this album is like shooting fish in an aquarium. You only need one bullet and you're all-but guaranteed to suffocate the fish, drown the cat and possibly cause injury to any small children in the immediate vicinity. There's the power-balladry of "Zoom Into Me" (which ably steals the piano riff from Britney Spears' "Everytime"), then there's the rousing chorus of "World Behind My Wall", the Rachel Stevens-esque electro stomp of "Human Connected to Human", a song title which sounds sweet as long as you've never heard of this film.

Picking a personal favourite though, we'd have to head for "Automatic". The prerequisite pummelling power-chords lead seamlessly from a chessily magnificent auto-tune intro into a bursting chorus which showcases front-man Bill Kaulitz' ability to nail further up the octave scale than any man not in JJ72 or Mew should be able to.

While Humanoid could be derided for borrowing heavily and recognisably from myriads of other artists, it's not something which drags down the album for the simple reason that they usually use such influences to better effect. For a pop album to be consistently strong in melody, varied in tone, unique in sound and content, affirming, emotive and completely devoid of condescension is a rare thing indeed.

Adopt French citizenship and surrender now, for this is one invasion which is irrefragable.