Jet - Shine On

Following on from such an immensely popular debut was always going to be difficult, and 'Shine On' shares a lot more than just a passing resemblance with its predecessor. It makes sense: the rock revolution is still in full swing, meaning there's a huge audience for any band that can actually play their instruments, as well as having the right clothes, hair and attitude. First single Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is is already getting plenty of airplay, and for good reason, it's a cracking track. Other standout cuts are thin on the ground and this release lacks the range of 'Get Born', since it features way too many ballads and not enough of the gritty rock that first broke them. Also, a few tracks are heavily reminiscent of Oasis, numbers like Kings Horses being a prime example. Still there's enough here to suggest that this album is going to be wedged in the charts for months to come. [Xavier Toby]