CDs October 2001

Mina : A to B. German, but somewhere between Ladytron, Mouse on Mars or I don't know what. Poppy electronica with loads of pleasant melodies, guitars and synths. Simply enjoyable. Won't change your world but might soothe your nerves.

Mo-ho-bish-o-pi : Vague Us. As indie as you can get. Riffs agogo. Wry lyrics. Loads of inventivity. Musicians swapping instruments. Simple fun. They'll never break through, but they're surely clever, just enjoying themselves.

Sing-sing : the Joy of Sing-sing. Well, this come as a bit of a disappointment. Sure she's got a lovely voice. Sure, some of the melodies are gorgeous. But save for maybe one or two tracks, I do not see anything that matches their first two singles (included here). This may be a promising band, but for the moment they're not a patch on Lush (from which guitaris/backing singer Emma Anderson features here). So wait and see, just hope.

Gay Dad : Transmission. The hyped band of the year before last (or was it even before ?) is back. At last. But not really any better. This is OK, a good rock album, has a few decent songs, you will not hate this album. I quite like it. But does it bring anything to my life ? I fear not.

Garbage : beautifulgarbage. Or rubbish if you want. I think I really liked their first two. To me it had beautiful songs, and punchy songs.This ? Just another re-hash that doesn't add to their oeuvre. I was not gonna buy this new, I got it second hand but it's not worth it. It's harmless that's for sure. They've always been described as a vacuous band. Now I can see why. I don't know if it's me or them, but this album is just boring, too long, and soulless. It even has the bad effect of casting a doubt for me on their first two albums. Sad.

The Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band : Born into Trouble as Sparks Fly Upward. Yes that's a long title. Haven't listened to it much yet but it is beautiful, ambitious. You will probably be bored after a few tracks ,but let yourself be absorbed and I think you'll have a pleasant journey. Sit back and enjoy, sometimes there's a time to rest.

Pulp : We Love Life. Eventually titled after September 11th and rightly so. Pulp going back to nature. A long way from their 'Different Class' days. And more relaxed than 'this is hardcore'. Catchy tunes ? No. Fear? No. Just a band finding its harmony with the world outside. Not the best album this year. Not the most beautiful. But hear it when you feel well. We love Pulp. And we love life.

Starsailor : Love is here. I kept it for the end. Cos to me this is the album of the year. I've found it. At last. It may have one flawed track, but that's me being very harsh on them. Mercury Rev are eerie. But their album does have too many let downs. The Strokes are hip. But I don't think they will last the time. Spiritualized are flawless. They've technically and spiritually made the best album this year. But they're too ambitious, on a different plane from most of us. Ash are terrific. But you can't have that much energy all the time. Bjork is great, she's made a beautiful album. But she's too otherwordly. This, on the other hand, is life. This is soul. This touches the heart. This moves you. The voice. And the music. And the lyrics. This is redemption. When I see them live, I want to go and see James Walsh and tell him 'Thank you'. As the penultimate tracks says : 'Good news for the good souls'. Indeed. (note : I'm not so fond of them now...and this review's highly bollocks, thank f*** I never said that to Mr Walsh!)