Glasvegas, the latest in resurgence in Britpop bands, as the name suggests, is from Glasgow, Scotland. And, although surprisingly ironic, they sound very very Scottish.

This doesn’t sound ironic at first glance, a Scottish band sounding Scottish, but it actually very much is.

Glasvegas’ music isn’t in itself Scottish at all. If nothing else, Glasvegas is Scotland’s answer to Ireland’s U2. Frontman James Allen’s songs on their debut album Glasvegas are U2-esque.

James and Guitarist Rab Allen provide guitar riffs that are simplistic and echo-laden, very reminiscent of early guitar work by The Edge. James Allen’s vocals even sound somewhat reminiscent of Bono, especially on “Daddy’s Gone”

Bassist Paul Donoghue and female drummer Caroline McKay fill out the bottom end well. Donoghue’s bass lines are simplistic but complimentary. McKay’s drums are very powerful, but don’t ever intrude on the rest of the music.

The Scottish sound doesn’t come from the music; it comes from James Allen’s thick Scottish accent and herein lays the irony. Many recent Scottish artists, such as Franz Ferdinand or KT Tunstall, have very thin, almost nonexistent accents.

Allen’s, in contrast, is so thick that it is almost incomprehensible at some point in every song. This maybe the thickest accent heard in rock music since Charlie and Craig Reid’s vocals on The Proclaimers’ song, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”

The only major setback on this album is the overall mix. The bass drum levels are much to load on some of the tracks. In addition, the effects used fairly liberally on the vocals and guitar tracks occasionally get murky and mixed together.

These problems can be attributed to Producer Rich Costey, who has also produced bands like Muse and Franz Ferdinand. Luckily, the mix rarely gets in the way of the overall listening experience and unless listened to with a subwoofer, is hardly noticeable.

Glasvegas’ self-titled debut is everything a new and upcoming artist could want in a debut album. Songs like “Daddy’s Gone” and “Geraldine” are surprisingly catchy yet meaningful. On the other hand “Stabbed” is borderline spoken word and adds an artsy edge to the album.

Unfortunately, this album will not available in the U.S. until January. Fortunately, Glasvegas can be purchased very inexpensively on iTunes.