f you don’t like the following bands you may as well stop reading now: Coldplay, Embrace, Keane, Travis and Feeder. But if you do like them, you’ll definitely like Thirteen Senses, or at the very least appreciate where they’re coming from, because these pretty Cornwall boys have mastered the genre at their first attempt. Thirteen Senses are clearly big fans of Chris Martin et al., and they belong firmly in the same bracket as bands like those already mentioned. “Into The Fire”, their latest single, opens this collection of autumnal anthems, and as big indie ballads go it’s up there with Snow Patrol’s “Run” and Coldplay’s “In My Place”. Also, singer Will South—who looks a bit like he should be in a-ha—has a voice very similar to Grant Nicholas from Feeder.

These are songs for winter nights spent wrapped up warm indoors—songs like “Gone”, which is strangely reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins at their most atmospheric. I can just see the video now: a sad young man wanders through a landscape of bare trees and fallen leaves thinking about his lost love (who ran off with a member of Metallica). This could well be their breakthrough single. Or maybe that will be the gorgeous “History”—a gentle, affecting ballad that builds into the kind of crowd-pleaser that would sound perfect echoing around the fields of Glastonbury next year.

Throughout, the sound is clean and lush. Will South’s voice is rich and aches with sadness, although he occasionally tries to sound like Thom Yorke and doesn’t quite make it. The rockier guitars on “Thru the Glass”—hey, maybe they’re not like Keane after all—don’t really work either. But these are minor incongruities in a long mood-piece of an album.

Some people will hate this record because it doesn’t rock out like a mutha or demand your attention. You can read or work to it and it doesn’t barge its way in or throw hooks at you. It’s not like Embrace’s Out of Nothing, which constantly makes you want to get up and sing along. So some might say The Invitation is dull. It isn’t—it’s subtle, and when you do pay attention you find yourself both calmed and moved.

In a crowded market of this sort of anthemic rock, will this accomplished debut do well? It’s hard to say. I wonder if Thirteen Senses are going to need to find some kind of gimmick or selling point to get noticed. Perhaps Will South should start going out with an Oscar-winning actress. Does Gwyneth have a younger sister?