Though they’ve been making lots of noise in Reading, England before their European LP release, Pete & the Pirates’ U.S. debut will undoubtedly be a spectacle.

Little Death, the Brit-popsters’ first full-length album, is upbeat, poignant, tender, raw, raucous and refined. Saying they bring a new sound to the scene would be a lie, but that doesn’t mean the well-kept rhythms and smooth, catchy melodies are any less impressive.

The sound really isn’t original; there are smatterings of Interpol, Bloc Party and Editors all mixed together. While I wouldn’t give them good marks for originality, it doesn’t matter in the end. The formulaic sound for successful and catchy British indie-rock is always a winner when it’s done well, and Pete & the Pirates do just that.

Though many of those once up-and-coming bands have moved on to bigger and better studios and a more refined sound, Pete & the Pirates do well in latching onto an urgent and energetic sound. Hopefully they’ll be able to hold onto that in the future.

The album is incredibly short, clocking in at just less than 36 minutes, but with 13 tracks it doesn’t feel undersized. The alternation of upbeat and slower songs keeps the album moving until the end.

The single “Mr. Understanding” is easily my favorite track on the album. It embodies everything that a pop-rock indie song should be. The music video is pretty entertaining too; in its apparently homemade splendor.

There are other great singles on the album. “Knots,” the album’s first single release, is another great piece of pop-rock indie music, and “Moving” is a slowed-down track that rides on singer/guitarist Tom Sanders’ soothing vocals. Even the latest single, “She Doesn’t Belong to Me,” picks up after a slow start.

While they don’t have any tour dates lined up outside of Europe yet, it would be worth it to keep watch, and now that “Little Death” has made it stateside, you should pick up a copy.