A lot of great music exists out there. But NBN can’t devote a slot to every CD that hits shelves, especially for bands you may have never heard of. So, that’s where we come in. British band Cajun Dance Party serves up a debut album and an excuse to talk about the state of music across the pond today.

This decade hasn’t been kind to English rock. While the scene in America has grown into a diverse collection of bands pushing music in new directions from coast to coast, the British basically have settled for slapping the “next big band” tag on whatever rock outfit that sorta sounds like The Libertines, and calling it a day. As a result, the country finds itself in a sort of musical rut where bands come and go in the span of a single. British bands used to be great exports, with Americans clamoring to get their paws on the latest Smiths or Blur CD. But now, with the exception of Radiohead and Amy Winehouse, the only people who go beserk for new British rock bands are the British; while the English debated Arctic Monkey’s place in musical history, us Yanks just tried to figure out what was so great about them.

British rock may need to get itself together, but that doesn’t mean the latest NME darling should just be ignored. Enter Cajun Dance Party, the next band stepping into the flickering spotlight once occupied by The Kooks and Maximo Park. This London five-piece grabbed attention with their debut single “The Next Untouchable,” and now present their debut LP The Colourful Life. They certainly don’t signal any sea change in British rock but, like the bands before them, Cajun Dance Party does offer plenty of enjoyable songs with great hooks and choruses. Just don’t expect anything new.

Sonically, the group sounds like a slightly-more-dancey version of every band post-Arctic Monkeys (that is to say, catchy Britpop-evoking sounds combined with Libertines-esque vocals and shifts). Separating the best cuts from the weaker ones is surprisingly simple: The best tracks are the fast ones with singable choruses, while the rubbish songs are the slow ones that remove all the elements that make Cajun Dance Party enjoyable. Lets focus on the positive. The title track and “The Firework” skip along to sunny guitars and laid-back choruses that work great as AIM away messages. “The Next Untouchable” whirls all over the place, jumping from segment-to-segment all while staying consistently catchy. The group indulges in some American indie hallmarks on “Amylase,” including a sing-along worthy conclusion (”You are the catalyst that makes things faster/Amylase will dry out the plaster”) that become a whole lot pretentious when you hit up Wiki. The album’s best moment comes with “The Race,” a song combining surf rock aping verses with a classic Britpop chorus (”The sun will rise, even if you don’t happen to be there”) and an equally memorable outro. One of the catchiest songs of the year on any continent.

Britain still needs to find their musical innovators akin to Animal Collective or No Age, but until then, stuff like Cajun Dance Party serve as enjoyable and fun filler. Just because they don’t change anything in the English sonic landscape doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them. Listen to them now before the next Futureheads album drops next week.

Bonus video for “The Race.”