Having blatantly exploited the popularity of the X-Files to launch themselves into the charts with the single Mulder And Scully, Catatonia proved they weren't a novelty act with the excellent Road Rage, both of which were taken from their second album, National Velvet. Equally Cursed And Blessed is the album given the task of building on the success of National Velvet.

Equally Cursed And Blessed shows that Catatonia subscribe to the motto "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Like its predecessor Equally Cursed And Blessed is choc full of hummable pop songs with Cerys Matthews belting them out brilliantly. From the laid back opening of Dead From The Waist Down, with its orchestral arrangement, to Dazed, Beautiful And Bruised, Catatonia treat us to a pop album, pure and simple.

Catatonia wear their Welshness with pride, Londinium takes a swipe at London with lines like "I come alive outside the M25" and Storm The Palace makes Catatonia unlikely candidates for the Queen's Honours list. Karaoke Queen is a sublime sing along pop song that'll have pub divas everywhere trying to claim the title for themselves.

Cerys gets to don many guises on Equally Cursed And Blessed. Storm The Palace is all attitude and venom, while the harp accompanied ballad, Bulimic Beats & Nothing Hurts are Cerys at her breathless tender best. As for musical influences, Catatonia's are varied indeed. Bulimic Beats' orchestral arrangement is pure James Bond theme and Shoot The Messenger's piano owes more than a passing nod to Madness' Shut Up. While Equally Cursed And Blessed may not have as many obvious singles as its predecessor, it does show that with catchy tunes, tongue in cheek lyrics and above all Cerys Matthews star quality going for them, Catatonia are here to stay. They may also prove 'popsong' doesn't have to be a dirty word.

Rating : 8 / 10

With When I Was Born For The 7th Time, Cornershop have produced a truly eclectic album. The songs are a mix of ridiculously catchy tunes and the undeniably odd. Cornershop draw upon a cornucopia of musical styles, from funk to eastern, dance to country and often in a single song.

Sleep On The Left Side & Brimful Of Asha are infectious, funky pop songs that you'll find yourself humming for days. Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again has a decidedly country influence until half way through, when it eases into a toe-tappingly groovy dance tune. Also in the ridiculously catchy tunes category are Funky Days Are Back Again & We're In Yr Corner, which has a very definite eastern feel with its Punjabi lyrics and sitar.

Cornershop weave their many influences together to produce songs which defy pigeonholing. Butter The Soul is a hip-hop tune with sitars. It's Indian Tobacco My Friend also uses sitars, this time to accompany Gregorian styled chanting. On When The Light Appears Boy is another eastern style backing, with the lyrical content consisting of an Allen Ginsberg poem, read by Ginsberg himself, very strange indeed.

Hip-hop influences are also evident with scratching and rapping used throughout, most notably on State Troopers & Candyman. Samples are also present, in particular on What Is Happening? with its political connotations interspersed with odd samples about mashed potatos and turkey ???

When I Was Born For The 7th Time is a very diverse album. Some songs hit you straight away as exceptional, others will take a while to insinuate themselves into your mind. Cornershop have given us an album that will offer something new almost every time you listen to it, drawing you back again and again.