Have you ever played the Ultimate Dream Team game? It works on anything really, footy, music or bands.

For example, for ultimate bands you selected your dream line up on each instrument and come up with a cross generation super group. (Just imaging Noel Gallagher rocking out with the Flea while Matt Tong explodes on the drums.)

It’s a great game that can rarely go wrong. However when you’re forming a band and shaping your sound it is not the best game to use.

The Capital are John Turner, Dan Bracebridge and Anthony Rooney. Their new EP, titled Alive, is a five-track sample of modern indie rock ‘n’ roll. Sweeping melodies, modest guitars and drums that balance a sound that wraps around bright lyrics.

At first The Capital have it all and are reminiscent of a bold and rockier version of Keane, but as the CD continues to play my views change. My guess is that The Capital are heavily influenced by modern music, taking parts from bands around them and moulding their own sound. However, it has kind of backfired.

In doing this they have created quite a generic sound that rather than exciting you, reminds you of other bands. Track opening Song for the 30 Something’s is one of the million tracks that have taken the Libertine style of flourishing guitars but is ruined by a watery chorus that involves the title just being repeated. It’s not big and it’s not clever.

Song number two, Alive uses Kings of Leon’s clunky guitars against a Keane style sing-a-long. It does work but it is very surreal. The next track, Faces starts slowly, like an old Travis track but breaks out with a plucky bass. The chorus is impressive, as is the guitar solo but its not that exciting.

Things slow down slightly when I Put You Down arrives. While this doesn’t sound like a rip-off of any band I can think of it doesn’t set the pulses racing either. Lead singer John Turner claims he: “Can feel the expectation getting stronger”. A word of advice Mr Turner - I wouldn’t worry about it.

The EP finishes with Spineless, a racy number that truly sounds like they have stolen off-cuts from a Manic Street Preachers album. The parallel is un-avoidable. All in all while The Capital aren’t a bad band, and by no means is it bad music, you do get the feeling they are covering other bands styles.

When that is the case, you can’t help think: “Why don’t I just listen to the original act instead?” And it’s that question alone that could be the undoing of The Capital.