Supergrass: "In It For The Money" (Parlophone)
Dial-a-track code: 1311
The Grass follow up their munchkins on speed masterpiece, I Should Coco, with something harder, punchier, but no less infectious. The recent Number 2 single, Richard III, has already knocked in a few ears with its relentless riffs and Theremin trickery, and Going Out is already a classic, but there are many more superb songs here, including the tightly wound G Song or the West Coast jam of Sun ~Hits The Sky.
Late In The Day has a Space Odditty style acoustic intro, but it's anchored to the earth by a solid piano rift, while good old fangled organs and moogs add extra texture to It's Not Me and Cheapskate, Supergrass walk a tightrope between Sixties proto prog rock and dodgy Seventies pseud-rock - viz You Car See Me - but pull it off with sheer daring and exuberance.
Various artists: "Space and Beyond. (Silva Screen) Dial a track code: 1421
Spacers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but the blues if you buy this album. As with Silva Screen's other compilations, such as ~Warriors Of The Silver Screen, this album is a total treat, with its 20 page booklet, Dolby Surround Sound and 10 specifically created sound effect sequences to accommodate the latter, set between symphonic suites from the greatest Sci-Fi movies of recent years: Star Wars, 2001, Star Trek, Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Apollo 13.
Trekkies also have the added treat of the previously unrecorded theme from the cult film Species. As powerfully performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nic Raine, Space and Beyond definitely is a real blast.
Various Artists: "The Saint Soundtrack" (Virgin)
Dial-a-track cede: 1531
Forget plot and casting - Hollywood blockbusters just need a cool soundtrack to get everybody rocking in the aisles, and the music for Vat Kilmer's new vehicle, The Saint, boasts some seriously cred dance acts like Orbital, Sneaker Pimps, Chemical Brothers, Underworld and Daft Punk, making you wonder if Simon Templar might be a bit of a raver underneath all those disguises. Of course, it matters not a jot that some of these tracks might only enjoy a few seconds of celluloid time on screen - Bowie's Little Wonder doesn't even feature in the film - but that's not the point. Hollywood has always worked hard on looking good, so why not put some energy into sounding great too?