Latest CD releases reviewed

IRON MAIDEN
The Trooper EMI ***

Kerranng! Twenty years a-slaughtering, and ver Maiden are still tapping into metal fans' primal urges. Here's a memory from 1982, just to remind us what troopers they are. See you at the RDS on the 31st.

ATHLETE
Tourist Parlophone **

Those pretenders to the "new Coldplay" throne are flying without wires this time, in a gentle song about being miles away from your sweetheart. Great for those lonely airport scenes.

MINT ROYALE
Singin' in the Rain Direction Records *

As seen in the VW Golf ad, here's the soggy old show tune getting completely drowned in a puddle of beats, breaks and synthy bits. Next up, The Good Ship Lollipop gets completely crunked.

THE CORAL
Something Inside of Me Deltasonic ***

With the airwaves still ringing to the summery sounds of In The Morning, it's looking sunny for this second track off the Liverpool la's new album, The Invisible Invasion. We didn't see that coming.

JAMIROQUAI
Seven Days in Sunny June Sony BMG **

It starts off sounding like The Year of the Cat (in the hat) and then explodes into an acid disco inferno, as Jay Kay shimmies and hustles like it's, er, 1996. God, is that eight-album deal not up yet?

SAUL WILLIAMS
Black Stacey Wichita ****

He's the hot new poet on the r&b block, and here's an angry tale of growing up on the dark side of the racial divide. Makes 50 Cent sound like Vanilla Ice. Which he does.

MARC CARROLL
Talk Again www.marccarroll.com **

The London-based expat is held up as a tragically ignored genius, but if Ireland's answer to Paul Westerberg wants to rise above the bog standard, he needs to put a bit of jingle in his jangle. Then we can talk.