Latest releases reviewed
NEW ORDER
Waiting for the Siren's Call
London
After 28 years in operation, New Order have the formula down pat - they always manage to sound pristine and freshly programmed rather than clunky and obsolescent. On 2001's Get Ready, the band leaned to the rockier side of their psyche; here, they try to redress the balance with some dancey, synth-washed workouts. But instead of pleasing every section of their audience, they're in danger of leaving no one satisfied. Who's Joe?, Krafty and Morning Night and Day are solid enough showpieces, but the plugged-in reggae of I Told You So and the clubby chicanery of Guilt Is a Useless Emotion has little function and even less form. Ana Matronic from Scissor Sisters pops up on the rather awful Jetstream (not quite Groovejet), while Dracula's Castle descends into the kind of pastiche New Order swore they'd never stoop to. - Kevin Courtney
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
B-Sides and Rarities
Mute
There's a certain ironic humour when Scum, one of the best tracks on this compilation, turns out to be an anarchic, sleazy rant about journalists. But then you remember that Nick Cave was once a wild-eyed punk and never afraid to spit bile from his musical pulpit. From biblical soap-boxer to funereal crooner, Cave's intensity hasn't lessened even if the tempo of his music has. This triple CD collection delineates his work in all its crazy, beautiful incarnations. It's difficult to name-check highlights from 56 tracks of studio outtakes, soundtracks, covers and deleted gems. The bluesy narrative of God's Hotel, the orchestral tilt of Cassiel's Song and a Gospel acoustic version of Deanna best sum up this collection: raw, emotive and unforgettable. www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com - Sinéad Gleeson
BRITISH SEA POWER
Open Season
Rough Trade
Before Franz and their ilk came on the Bloc, BSP were seen as Britrock's rural vanguard, holding the fort against pernicious, homogenised rock, but these quirky country gents didn't quite take the world by strategy. On their second album, BSP don't sound like a band in decline, although they still remind you of Psychedelic Furs with a splash of Orange Juice and even a pinch of The Fat Lady Sings. "I wrote elegiac stanzas for you," declares singer Yan on It Ended On an Oily Stage, before charging fearlessly into the lyrical minefields of Be Gone, Please Stand Up, North Hanging Back and Victorian Ice. The band remain surefooted throughout, and there is subtlety aplenty on the gentle, grassy Like a Honeycomb, To Get to Sleep and The Land Beyond. At last, birdwatchers have their own Beta Band. www.britishseapower.co.uk - Kevin Courtney
RACINE
Racine Number One
PIA-K Recordings
Hot on the heels of Billy Idol, another 80s peroxide refugee makes a surprising comeback; mercifully, though, Wendy James has been born again in the most unexpected and refreshing way. Having decamped to New York, exorcised her personal demons and found Godard, she eschews the pretty/vacant Vampish image of yore, reinventing herself as an aesthete, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer of no mean ability. Racine Number One is a charmingly odd concoction of DIY punk ethic, arty pretension, amateur enthusiasm and searing pop-sensibility. Grease Monkey, the snappy single, only hints at some of the treasures herein; far better are the Beach Boys-tinged Blonde Mink Mimi and the ironic electronic singalong pop of Heavy Metal Dude. Indeed, apart from a couple of blonde moments, you could say this is an album to dye for. www.theracineworld.com - Johnnie Craig
MONADE
A Few Steps More
Duophonic
*****
Until recently, Monade was Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab's low-key solo side project. But now it's a full band, and a very good one, too. This is the second Monade album, and it sees everyone's favourite Marxist pop futurist taking all the good things about vintage Stereolab (hypnotically spacy beats, twinkling noises, pretty but strange pop tunes) and leaves out the bad (repetitive droning). The result is an enchanting collection of strangely melancholy pop songs that sound warmer and sweeter than anything Sadie's done in some time. With its rhythmic keyboards and multi-layered "ba ba ba" vocals, the opening track Wash and Dance sets the tone for an album that should delight 'Lab fans and win over new converts. www.toopure.com - Anna Carey
