LIQUID SKIN

Gomez (album)

They’re nothing more than buskers with a record contract, aren’t they? I mean, the first album was jolly and it was recorded in a garage. So what’s this? A second album? Oh, hurrah! Actually, no. For starters, that bloke who howls like a burning Wookiee is still there and he’s still howling. I dare you to hear him bark at the moon at the end of Full Moon Rising. And he’s everywhere. That wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but the songs themselves are way too self-indulgent. Every time they reach a point in the song where you think, "Actually, that sounds quite good" they suddenly add something daft (usually Wookiee Boy’s voice) to it or change tack altogether (see Bring It On’s descent into old school reggae hell). This could have been good, this really could. But no, they had to push their musical boundaries and, as a result, it’s not. Bet you Gomez clean up at next year’s Brit Awards. With a mop and a bucket full of Flash after the show’s over, probably.

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Blur (Box Set)

A few years ago, I would have laughed my head off if anyone had suggested a Blur box set to me. Be honest, how many cheeky-chappie type songs would you be able to handle before dumping the whole lot in the road and driving over it repeatedly? Granted, songs like Girls & Boys and Popscene are great, but then there’s other stuff like Charmless Man and Stereotypes… oh dear. Now though, it’s all different. The last two albums have been really rather good (especially 13) and all of a sudden, Blur have become a very important band indeed. Every single’s here, including No Distance Left To Run. All the tat’s here too, but now it’s necessary rather than repulsive because it’s a guideline as to how good they’ve got. One more thing, there are only 7,000 available. Damn.