Supergrass
SUPERGRASS GROWS UP BUT STILL LOOKS BACK

Not so long out of their teens, the members of Supergrass-guitarist Gaz Coombes, bassist Mickey Quinn and drummer Danny Goffey-are already sonic veterans. Their debut album "I Should Coco," received the type of rave reviews that often mark an overnight sensation while simultaneously dooming that sensation to a one-night-stand career. This ragged British trio broke that jinx with a fine sophomore album, "In It For The Money," that took its predecessor's pop-punk spirit into more expansive but equally '70s-inspired landscapes. The band's self-titled album continues to expand its borders, tipping a stylistic hat to everyone from the Buzzcocks to the Rolling Stones to David Bowie. Raw enthusiasm is still at the heart of "Supergrass," but its catalog of influences has become eclectic and gorgeously disordered. Power-punk tempos accompany lilting harmonies; soulful vocals slide around glam-rock riffs. Only Supergrass' talent for irresistible sing-alongs remains unchanged. The album's first single, "Pumping On Your Stereo," is a playful, R&B-inflected anthem that Slade might have written in its raucous heyday. "Jesus came From Outer Space" blends Ziggy Stardust with the Thin White Duke to suggest a novel, if skewed, rock mythos. "Moving" revisits early Pink Floyd, and "Shotover Hill" smacks of classic arena-rock both old (Led Zeppelin) and new (Radiohead), complete with lavish vocal layers and instrumentation (timpani, mandolin, slide guitar and more). On the other extreme, bassist Quinn takes his first shot as a lead singer with an uncharacteristically quiet closing song, "Mama & Papa". This CD, which was released in England late last year, has been called Supergrass' first adult album. That may well be true. Maturing is not synonymous with growing old, however, and company prove they're ready to face adulthood with all their bratty inspiration intact.
Rating: Polite Applause

Neva Chonin, San Francisco Chronicle - 02 April 2000