IF ONLY

Hanson

The boys are back in town. Let's see now, they first appeared with their light frothy singalongarock sounds three years ago and even now, not one of them is old enough to legally go into a pub in their home country and get completely ratted. Yes, they've fitted in quite a lot in their short lives, have these musical munchkins. Unfortunately, it also means that whereas some other groups tend to get samey and dull when the band members reach about 30, these chaps have achieved the feat before any of them have hit 20. Most impressive. Now, I'm prepared to forgive almost any musical atrocities as long as the culprits show at least some sign of pushing forwards musically, but right from the start, when the harmonica and the record-scratching noises kick in, this is nothing more than the same sort of bland cheery driving rock that they've thrown at us before. Even the aforementioned atrocity (Mmmbop - surprised?) is on the B-side as a live track! There is one big difference, but I think even that one was beyond their control - their voices are deeper. Perhaps from now on, rock music should be labelled Keep Away From Children.

HELIOCENTRIC

Paul Weller (album)

This is exactly the sort of album you'd make if you were fed up trying to please everybody and just decided to make music that you liked. Gone is the overblown heavy sounding dirge that made up Heavy Soul, which to me sounded like a 40-year-old trying to sound desperately like a 20-year-old and in comes a bloke at peace with the world and in a much better mood. He's still capable of wigging out when necessary, but on the whole this is more relaxed, more thoughtful and more sitting back and enjoying life. Reforming The Jam is right out (shame) and so's The Style Council (hurrah), so the only person he answers to now is himself, so there. Unfortunately, this album doesn't actually do a lot for me (different taste in music), but I do have a lot of respect for Paul Weller because even after well over 20 years, his music is changing, not always for the better admittedly (Life At A Top People's Health Farm, anybody?), but it's different every time. Besides, the world needs music and people like this.