SINGLES

SUEDE: Everything Will Flow (Nude) - At last, a glimmer of hope enters the life of moody old Brett Anderson with this latest cut from the top-selling Head Music album. Even if you wear ear muffs, you can tell a Suede song a mile off. (7/10)

MAXIM: My Web (XL) - With nothing doing in the Prodigy camp, Maxim Reality (the band member with the funny-coloured eyes) decided he wasn't going to sit around twiddling his thumbs. Instead, he's decided to dish up something which sounds like nothing more than Prodigy bedroom demos. This is poor. (1/10)

TRAVIS: Why Does It Always Rain On Me? (Independiente) - One of the most unlikely success stories of 1999, and probably one of the most deserved, Travis lift another instantly likeable pop ditty from their critically-acclaimed The Man Who album. The power is in the simplicity of their folk-inspired rock and clever songwriting which is improving all the time. (8/10)

ADD N TO (X): Revenge Of The Black Regent (Mute) - A nail-biting concoction of wicked fuzzy electro which sounds like a hardcore Gary Numan joined by some cemetery-dwelling goths. (6/10) LOLLY: Mickey (Polydor) - 'Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind.' You know the one. Toni Basil was the original culprit responsible for this infuriatingly stupid disco stomper, and Lolly's virtual carbon copy is a real stinker. (2/10)

ALBUMS

SALAKO: Musicality (Jeepster) - There's a strange natural musical crispiness about Salako which makes them stand out like the proverbial sore thumb in the shark-infested pop waters of the music business. Not afraid to experiment with their vast array of instruments, which includes acoustic guitars, cellos, flutes and Jew's harps, Salako add an awesome new slant to English pschyedelia. Whether it be telling curious little tales or making unique observations about peculiar situations, they come across as being slightly surreal, but they're incredibly intelligent with it. (8/10)

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