Pop reviews

New Radicals: Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too (MCA)

If the sleeve-notes are to be believed, the New Radicals are Gregg Alexander of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, plus a different bunch of musicians on almost every track. None the less, Maybe ... has a united feel. It's all as addictive as the top-10 single "You Get What You Give", and it all sounds like the Rolling Stones via Primal Scream, with the Pixies' Black Francis contributing some squawks and weirdness. In essence, it's loose-limbed, loose-hipped, bluesy rock with lots of guitar and chunky piano, so it's tricky to pin down what makes it so fresh and vital. It could be the youthful brattishness of Alexander's bleary falsetto, or it could just be the magnificent tunes. One thing's for sure, this is a sensational album. And I'll eat my trainers if it doesn't make the New Radicals the most feted band to cross the Atlantic since the Fun Lovin' Criminals.