THE MOJO FINS - THE SOUND THAT I STILL HEAR

Whatever its faults, the fact that The Sound That I Still Hear exists at all is pretty remarkable: while some bands disintegrate under the slightest pressure, The Mojo Fins survived real tragedy when vocalist-guitarist Jon Chandler was killed in a road accident. Rather than call it a day, the band channelled their loss into a debut album which has sanguine hope rather than sadness as its emotional key. But while such sangfroid is to be commended, too often the results are insipid. Stephen Brett ably takes over as vocalist, but no matter how sweetly sung, too many of the melodies follow the exact same bittersweet, delicate blueprint, aiming to evoke Elliot Smith but alighting on Crowded House's B-sides instead. Exceptions to the blandness include the affecting Not the Victim and the rousing single Always Now, which together suggest that future success, while not yet secure, is certainly no lost cause. [Chris Buckle]