Supergrass
SUPERGRASS IS 10: THE BEST OF 1994-2004 PARLOPHONE
Enjoyable survey of underrated Oxford trio's first decade

It's a puzzling - though oddly pleasing - fact that Supergrass amble towards their 10th anniversary as one of Britpop's few survivors, in spite of being among that benighted scene's least charismatic band. Amid all the self-aggrandising and hyperbole of the mid-'90s, Supergrass were praised chiefly for the singer's prodigious sideburns and, quaintly, the craftsmanlike handiness of their tunes. Supergrass Is 10 highlights the enduring quality of these songs: simple, lyrically trite, often comically derivative, but sturdy and likeable enough to survive after Britpop had run its course.
At their best - "Alright", "Mansize Rooster", "Grace" - they combine mischievous punk and glam energy with a craggy sepia-tone Englishness more redolent of real ale than sulphates. Fizzy and disposable indie-pop, in other words, which has proved to be far more nourishing than ever seemed likely.
3/5

John Mulvey, Uncut - July 2004