Years & Years are following the likes of Adele, Jessie J and Sam Smith, but will their debut album fulfil their promise?

In January, British electro-pop trio Years & Years managed to beat fellow up-and-comers like Shamir and Kwabs, to take home the title of the BBC Sound of 2015, an annual poll whose past victors include the likes of Adele, Jessie J, Haim and Sam Smith. Fronted by 24-year-old actor Olly Alexander ( Skins, The Riot Club, God

Help the Girl), Y&Y started out as an indie act before signing with boutique French label Kitsune and Polydor Records.

Since its inception in 2012, the band has released a total of six singles — all of which leaned towards the pop-house territory that seems to be de rigueur in contemporary music.

Such is the very sound that underpins the majority of Communion, the band’s highly-anticipated record that follows last year’s Real EP. Tracks like Desire,

Worship and UK No 1 King are built on a well-oiled roster of slick synth lines, smooth R&B groove and irresistible choruses sung with Alexander’s soulful, falsetto-abled warble.

King, in particular, is brimming with shimmering synths coupled with a breezy Balearic vibe that appeals to the masses, not to mention a chorus that is so easy to sing along to. It goes: “And oh, oh, oh, I was a king under your control/And oh, oh, oh, I wanna feel like you’ve let me go, so let me go.” That the song went to No 1 on the UK Top 40 Singles Chart is no wonder.

But this album isn’t exclusively about hook-centric dancefloor bangers; the trio is also well-versed in crafting a simple pop jam that can be enjoyed lounging around the house. Take the super chill opener Foundation, Shine with its semi tempo infectiousness and boy band sensibility, or the dancehall-inspired Take Shelter that invites some casual hip swaying. Even heartbreak ballads like

Eyes Shut, Border and Memo are done with the kind of lush melody that goes hand in hand with Alexander’s pliable vocals. It’s these slower offerings that best showcase his emotive voice — a voice that sometimes reminds us of Justin Timberlake, other times of Abel Tesfaye of The Weeknd or even Michael Jackson.

Communion isn’t a bad record — quite far from it. This is a decent, wellrounded pop production that has a bit of everything for everyone whether it’s a euphoric floor-filler, a tear-jerking ballad or anything in between. What’s more, the band itself possesses enough personality to stand out from the crowd, thanks to its likeable frontman.

The only real problem, though, is that in the context of Sound of 2015, the trio still leave a lot to be desired as a holder of that title. Compared to other boundary-pushing artists like FKA twigs and Lapsley, there’s very little to be had in the way of innovation with Y&Y, and in that respect, Communion comes across as quite a letdown.