Sonic Mook Experiment 3 - 'Hot Shit' (Mute) Released 23/06/03

You know it's not fair that I should be the one to do this, 'cos by all accounts I really like what Sonic Mook are up to, what they stand for and the bands they've broke onto the live scene in the UK. But this album, listened to with the critics ear is full of half arsed, ooh-look-at-me-were-so-cool, terrible bands that smack of style over substance. In my minds eye I can see what they look like already, Karen O and Strokes clones with Hoxton mullets falling over each other to be seen in West-End fashionista club Trash.

That's not to say this album is shit though, no, far be it for me to tar the likes of former Elastica girl Donna Matthew's new outfit Klang whose 'Outside My Area's cheeky simplicity is devastatingly chic or the proper bo of honky rude-boys Crack Village with the crap-brush. And come on, Radio 4, Queens of Noize, Ex-Models, Kings Have Long Arms (ace sleazy fat rock 'n' roll with analogue synths) and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Machine'. Uhuh, there's some good stuff here, but the laughable addition of utter scenster shite like Pink Grease, Bane Overlord and the like downgrades an album that could have captured the zeitgeist of London last year to something that is desperately attempting to find 24 decent enough bands of a similar style to fill an album. Don't let me put you off though, as a sampler of some excellent bands, mostly harking from the States this one's at least worth a listen. This album then is partly "Hot" and partly "Shit".