SINGLES

DE LA SOUL: Oooh (Tommy Boy Records) -- This top party track is bound to be a dancefloor filler this summer and has all the makings of a slick and funky tune, proving that the infectious rap trio are back. With a smattering of Run DMC's 808-boom classic, Together Forever from guest vocalist Redman, this tune has that certain something which gets your head nodding and your feet tapping. (8/10) RP

DAMAGE: Ghetto Romance (Afterlife/Cooltempo) -- This is the first single for Damage on Afterlife/Cooltempo following a break of almost three years after their previous label Big Life was dissolved. And they've definitely come back with a hot R and B track -- one which is bound to get groovers into the summer vibe. (7/10) RP

SIX BY SEVEN: New Year (Mantra) -- With a big hefty guitar sound this is not so much a belated new Millennium celebration, but more a torturous unleashing of anger. Potentially dangerous. (7/10) JS ALBUMS GLIDE: Performance (Ochre) -- There's two sides to Will Sergeant -- first, there's the day job as guitarist with Echo and the Bunnymen, then there's Glide, the vehicle he hops aboard for his experimental flights of fancy into the world of sci-fi ambience. Split into three sections, this album comprises a gig at the Gloucester Guildhall, a menacing interlude, and a 31 minute epic entitled Frozen Teardrop in Space. Sergeant's sinister soundscapes give the feeling of motion; they're hypnotic and designed to send your mind into orbit. (8/10) JS

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (Jeepster) -- Back with their fourth consistently good album, and still proving to have a penchant for long titles, Belle and Sebastian may be a touch arty, but they're by no means pretentious. This is cleverly textured classic pop with some stunning string arrangements. True to form, all songs boast curious fascinating tales about life. (8/10) JS