The Corrs: in Blue (Atlantic)
Can it really be that this is only the third Corrs studio album? Their music seems to be ubiquitous. Turn on the radio and it's there; switch on the TV and it's there; go on holidays and it's there. Can/will/should it last? Judging by the evidence of this indifferent package the answer is no. The rise of the Corrs roughly corresponds to that of the Irish economy and, like it, they seem destined for a hard landing. Two of the three things that made them distinctive and attractive - good-looking, Irish and pop-sharp - have been lost in the presumed search for a more homogenised and less ethnic sound. The result is a heavily decorated blancmange enlivened by Mutt (Mr Shania Twain) Lange's contribution to three tracks including the excellent single Breathless. They remain attractive, but the music's lack of substance is quite startling.
Joe Breen
Various Artists: Music from and inspired by Shaft (LaFace)
Blaxploitation is back, and the baadest cop in the genre has been resurrected in this remake by director John Singleton. Samuel L. Jackson plays the ebony enforcer, and Isaac Hayes has retooled the famous theme tune, turning the wah-wah pedal up to a ghetto-blasting 11. The rest of the soundtrack is a modern mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and r & b, featuring a heavyweight cast, including Donell Jones, Alicia Keys, Big Gipp, Carl Thomas, Outkast, Angie Stone and Too $hort. Songs such as Tough Guy, Pimp Sh*t and 2 Glock 9's give it to you straight, while Summer Rain and My Lovin' will Give you Something lay it right on the line. Even R. Kelly comes off cool on Bad Man, a tough-talking ballad which could be subtitled I Believe I am Fly.
Kevin Courtney
Morcheeba: Fragments Of Freedom (China)
After the sublime Big Calm in 1998, it's appropriate that Morcheeba's latest album sees them brewing up a musical storm and losing the trip-hop tag in the flurry. The trio of Paul Godfrey, Ross Godfrey and singer Skye have stepped out of their usual laid-back grooves to reach for pop's heavenly heights - a brave move considering the inherent danger of morphing into M People. Luckily, songs such as Rome Wasn't Built In A Day, Love Is Rare and Be Yourself are catchy without sticking in the craw, and the more commercial fare is sandwiched between some superb beats, breaks and backflips. The Godfrey brothers toss in plenty of references to the music they grew up with, Love Sweet Love paying homage to Grandmaster Flash and Shallow End echoing the sound of Philadelphia, and all adding up to a sweet and soulful pop album.
Kevin Courtney
Os Mutantes: Everything Is Possible (Luaka Bop)
Os Mutantes (The Mutants) were a psychedelic trio from Sao Paolo, Brazil, featuring brothers Sergio and Arnaldo Baptista and singer Rita Lee Jones. They blew Brazilian minds for a short while during the late 1960s, and also expressed the political unrest of the time with their radical twists on traditional latin styles. The trio joined up with other musical outcasts such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, forming the Tropicalia movement dedicated to questioning old values in art, music and Brazilian culture. The music on this Best Of compilation, remastered from original tapes, is a stoned-out lounge trip, mixing the psychedelic folk of Ave Lucifer and Fuga No. II with the lysergic easy-listening of Baby, the Santana-style freakout of Cantor de Mambo and the manic merengue of Bat Macumba. Spike that Margarita, sit back and enjoy.
Kevin Courtney