The Academy Is. . .

What really distinguishes The Academy Is... from the blank generation of mall-punk cookie cutters is frontman William Beckett's talent for sneaking classic, big vibrato glam gusto into the band's choruses. With Santi the band leaves behind the Fueled By Ramen farm club for a major label debut that is front-loaded with a number of commercially viable singles. And even though the stomping beat and harmonized "ahs" of "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands" is charming, the clear winner here is "LAX to O'Hare" and the would-be Gary Glitter B-side "Bulls in Brooklyn."