GUERRILLA

There's some more interesting material on Guerrilla than on its predecessors, but it's still pretty patchy. "Check It Out" is a strange-sounding strack with a great rhythm section and nice string sound. It flows very nicely into the more hard-edged, poppy "Do or Die" - what a shame I don't actually like the song.

The next part of the album is probably the most consistent part, with 4 good, solid, interesting tracks in a row - quite an accomplishment considering the patchwork nature of this album along with its two predecessors. "The Turning Tide" is a very nice track showing a more emotive side of SFA, and in particular Gruff Rhys' singing. "Northern Lites" is also very good, adding in a world-music flavour to the album. "Night Vision" is admittedly an acquired taste with its odd lyrics, but it's probably one of the spaciest songs the early SFA recorded, despite its "dance" feel; this is due to the instrumental section in the middle. Pretty psychedelic...for a Brit-pop band.

With "Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home)" they toy around with rap a little more. This is one of the best tracks on the album, surpassed only by "Some Things Come From Nothing" and "Chewing Chewing Gum". A great song to dance to.

"Some Things Come From Nothing" is a more down track, with only one line of Rhys' lyrics - repeated over and over again, of course. This has more of an electronica feel to it which is pulled off really very well. "The Door To This House Remains Open" continues this electronica feel, although in a much more upbeat way; once again, lyrically, this track contains just one line of lyrics repeated over and over again.

"Chewing Chewing Gum" is really the best that the band have to offer on this album. The intro has Rhys singing in a more classical style than before alongside Ciaran playing a really very nice piano riff. "I've got stuff on my mind, a thought left behind..." just beautiful. We then have one of the vocalists - I don't know which one it is, but I think it's Ciaran - sing a descending note, introducing a less serious section. This song gradually builds up a very good combination of vocalists singing different sections - it's like a canon, only...not. Who would have thought that a song about how if you go to bed with chewing gum, it might end up stuck in your hair could explore such beauty?

Songs of less interest include "Do or Die", "A Specific Ocean", "The Teacher", "Fire In My Heart", "The Sound Of Life Today" and "Keep The Cosmic Trigger Happy" (although I do appreciate the "Chewing Chewing Gum" reprise six minutes after this song finishes). Most of those are either filler or pop songs to make the album more accessible to a wider, possibly younger audience. In fact, if it weren't for these songs, this album would definitely get at least an extra star - which is a shame, because I regret not being able to differentiate this one from its less interesting predecessor.

Also of note: this is the second album I ever bought with my own money, after Radiohead's "Kid A"!

Best song: Chewing Chewing Gum, although Some Things Come From Nothing comes pretty close