Latest CD releases reviewed
Smile Regal
* * * * This London lass is the hot ska babe who's been rockin' MySpace with this fab pop-reggae tune, like Althea and Donna stuck at home cos their bloke won't take 'em uptown top ranking. Watch out for her album, Alright Still, out next month.
She Moves in Her Own Way EMI
The future's so bright for these Brighton boys, they have to write yet another catchy song about it. The La's meet The Kinks in this summery singalong tune from their fine debut, Inside In Inside Out. Definitely in.
Some Kind of Kick Sound Foundation Recordings
The Dublin rockers have undergone a weird, Frankenstein-like transformation from neo-Mods to scuzzy, scary swamp things. Here's a slime-rocker that'll give The Cramps a run for their scummy.
Steve from Rollerskate Skinny launches his own satellite of love, and this fab, headspinning tune, featuring Caroline-Lee Baker on vocals, has landed on hit US TV series Grsay's Anatomy. That's a well-deserved royalty for Steve and co-writer, guitarist and producer Liam Mulvaney.
Valerie Deltasonic
* * *
Aka Tired of Hanging Around Ashbury Park Waiting for Bruce. The Liverpool lad's (and lassie) take their hungry hearts down to the river on a tunnel of love to meet the Boss . . . I could go on like this all day, you know. Next week, The Coral spend a lazy Sunday afternoon in Itchycoo Park, etc.
The Welsh nu-metallers have a new album, Liberation Transmission, and they want all disaffected teens in Pontyprydd to stand on the rooftops and scream their hearts out in protest at the ordinary and banal. Do be careful up there, won't you, dear, there's a few loose slates. It's probably cold, too - how about a nice cuppa tea?
Collapse or Keep Going EP Polar Planet
Here's a funked-up trio from Kilkenny who love splashing breaks, beats, horns and basslines all over their tunes. The Altitude and Why Good Guys Die are frenetic funk workouts featuring frenetically scatting vocals; Float Feet First is an ambient indie Hammond groove; and KATE is an acid-jazzy chillout tune.
