Paperlung - Balance

Paperlung, along with début album Balance, is the latest venture of former Boo Radleys frontman Sice. The inherent refusal to acknowledge any evolution or progression in British music on the album suggests Sice has spent the past decade living under a stone, underneath a bigger stone. It would, however, be ridiculous to slate a band solely for being retrogressive. Thanks to Sice, then, for writing his own critique on What You Said: "I used to be such fun / now I am depressed." Opening track How Can You Sleep aside, Balance obstinately lingers sonically circa-1995 but lacks any of the hooks that made the Radleys, in their heyday, okay. Anecdotal themes of alcoholism, domestic violence and marriages going (fittingly) stale may well be personal to the band but they become tiresome, in keeping with the bland musical landscape. By trying to play it safe, Paperlung have fallen flat on their faces. [Finbarr Bermingham]