Oasis: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, (Big Brother)
This album is a lighter and easier to digest than 1997's Be Here Now, but there's still too much stodge in evidence to make it palatable. It opens with Fuckin' In The Bushes, a strident instrumental workout, then settles into the usual Beatle-parroting pop. Little James, Liam Gallagher's debut song-writing effort, falls just short of cringe-worthy, while Gas Panic! and Where Did It All Go Wrong? land just on the right side of pretty good. The big letdowns come in hard rockers such as Put Yer Money Where Where Your Mouth Is and I Can See A Liar, both pale shadows of Supersonic and Cigarettes & Alcohol. Roll It Over attempts a Champagne Supernova-style grand finale, and very near pulls it off. It's getting better, man, but still head and shoulders below their best.
Kevin Courtney
Jackie Mittoo: The Keyboard King Of Studio One, (Universal Sound)
If you're one of the those who've rediscovered the glory of Jamaican sounds thanks to the 100% Dynamite series, you'll want to add Jackie Mittoo to your collection. A founding member of The Skatalites at the age of 15, Mittoo became one of the most important players in the world of ska, rock-steady and reggae, along the way producing releases for the mighty Studio One label, writing and recording tunes for the likes of Marica Griffiths, Ken Boothe and The Heptones and touring with various bands. This set glows with funky breaks and beats, from the slinky wash of Oboe to the gorgeous addictive grooves of Black Organ and Summer Breeze. Sunshine music from the very top drawer.
By Jim Carroll
Laurent Garnier: Unreasonable Behaviour, (F Comms)
Before Air and before Daft Punk, there was Laurent Garnier. The grand fromage of French dance music has been making tunes as an artist, playing tracks as a DJ and making tart comments as a mischievous motor-mouth for quite some time now. Thankfully, he lets the music do all the posturing on Unreasonable Behaviour, a smart and assured collection of electronic movements and symphonies which sweeps much of what passes for intelligent dance music out of its path with aplomb. Garnier is adept at crafting immaculate sounds at every level, whether it is deep and lush sound-scapes aimed at living-room audiences or more banging fare for packed floors. Tasty and tempting.
By Jim Carroll
Various Artists: The Beach Motion Picture Soundtrack, (London/Fox Music)
It's being touted as the coolest soundtrack since Danny Boyle's other biggie, Trainspotting, which means you can bank on lots of lagoon-rockin' beats and sand-kickin' techno, with a splash of Britpop and a sprinkling of Ibiza trance. Rounding up the usual sonic suspects such as Leftfield, Underworld, Orbital and Faithless, the soundtrack tosses in lots of swirly, wavy seaside effects, just to remind you that you're not in Glasgow any more, pal. Highlights include All Saints' Pure Shores, Moby's Porcelain, Asian Dub Foundation's Return Of Django and New Order's Brutal. Great for those idyllic beach parties in Thailand - just as long as things don't get too out of hand.
By Kevin Courtney