SINGLES

ATOMIC KITTEN: Right Now (Virgin) - This provocative girl three-piece inject plenty of fun and energy into a pop song which borrows heavily from the sweaty, wah-wah funk of film and TV soundtracks like Starsky And Hutch and Shaft. No prizes for originality, but it's fun and bouncy. (7/10) PB

CULTURE CLUB: Your Kisses Are Charity (Virgin) - Boy George and his grumpy band have set their differences aside to release an all-new lectro-ballad with a rather icy feel. I can't put my finger on where they I've heard the melody before, but it has a Simply Red ring to it. I'd rather have a cup of tea. (6/10) PB

ALBUMS

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Fifa 2000 The Album (Virgin/EMI) - I suppose this soundtrack album is meant to be played in the background while you frantically grapple with your PlayStation controller and try to boot your friends off the virtual field of play. Robbie Williams, who is part of the latest Fifa Soccer marketing package, gets two songs on the album, including one made specially for the game called It's Only Us. The first disc has durable indie pop hits from New Radicals, Stereophonics, Gomez and Supergrass (pictured), while the second branches off into techno and dance territory with contributions from Apollo 440, Elite Force, The Jungle Brothers and Jamiroquai. A striking effort. (9/10) PB

ETERNAL: Eternal (EMI) - First Louise Nurding left, then Kelly Bryan followed suit, parting company with the Bennett sisters. Now the Eternal girls have ditched their management team and are looking after affairs themselves. Maybe Easther and Vernie are looking for new a musical direction but judging from this, their latest work, if they are, they haven't yet found it. The only difference between this collection and previous albums is the apparent lack of hit singles on it.Their name may suggest the duet will go on forever but the music clearly says the end is nigh. (2/10) CL

VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Best Love Songs Ever (Virgin) - If these were the best love songs ever, then I wouldn't need to write anything and I could just give full marks. However, as usual this is not so much the best songs as a bagful of good ones mixed with plenty of recent ones which are unlikely to stand the test of time. Chris de Burgh, Elton John, Hot Chocolate and Sinead O'Connor provide the classics while Ronan Keating, The Corrs and Martine McCutcheon are among those representing the class of '99. Those who can handle two CDs of soppiness could do a lot worse. (6/10) PB

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.