Aiming for a mass audience seems to be a risky strategy in the pop universe.  Neither fully committing to interesting, experimental, risks nor veering too far off the commercial/pop sound of the day; aiming for the middle ground often results in, well, middling output.  Very much a tale of two half’s, 404 is frustrating in its confirmation that pop comes alive when it drops its aim for the masses and explores new territory.  Starting off with a stale/ uniform sound (Hollow, You and I), and coming alive mid-way through the album (London Girls, The Kids are Alright), 404 has all of the ingredients a strong pop album needs, apart from its main one; ambition.