MILK & BEANS

Blindside

Blindside are cursed. They'll never have a No1 single, they'll never go on the cover of Smash Hits and should they get picked up by a big record company their singles will go straight in 23 and fall out of the charts immediately. That's how predictable the music industry is these days. I can prove these points too. This is a band created by the band members, not some middle-aged bald bloke in a shell suit who thinks the Vengaboys are hip to the jive daddy-o. Obviously, this is against the rules. They play their own instruments too - what are they thinking? They'll put all those session musicians out of a job, not to mention all those dance instructors because obviously you can't play and strike poses at the same time. They write their own songs and all, which shows a remarkable streak of independence. Most shocking of all, it only takes a maximum of two out of the five band members to do all the singing - that's impressive stuff, seeing as all five members of Steps have to do their bit singing-wise in order to get through just one song. Moving on though, and as demos go this is pretty good actually. You get five tracks for your money (and yes it is on sale) and it's pretty frenetic stuff. If you want to hear twee lyrics and Sounds-Groovy keyboards, then go and pop Agadoo on your stereo, but if you want to hear some tunes that are worth hearing more than once, then this does the job. As for the title, God alone knows what it means, but then it's knowing things like that that makes Him God and us not.

I TURN TO YOU

Melanie C

Is Mel C deliberately trying every possible style of music until she finds one she likes? So far, from an unfocused first album, we've been offered rock, a pop anthem, R&B and now trance. Yes, trance. The most dancey song on the album (not to mention one of the obviously-going-to-be-a-single songs) has been remixed, rejigged and generally improved and Ms C's singing is well up to par, but despite all this that certain spark is still missing from it and it doesn't quite come together. Never mind, there's always the next album - that might have thrash metal and yodelling hamsters on it.