OH No! indeed. Buckinghamshire trio Crackout will remain in rock obscurity if they continue to record albums as stunningly average as this.

After their promising 2001 debut, This Is Really Neat, they have taken a huge leap backwards. You can hear the sound of water being treaded. The self-assured pop rock of Out Of Our Minds and single This Is What We Do is harmless enough and Wait is a steady attempt at mimicking The Cure.

Robots Have Feelings and Insect Song see Crackout move into Flaming Lips and Grandaddy territory and seem oddly out of place. Elsewhere the album is bland and the trio's brand of rock is done so much better by others. The nasal-accented voice of frontman Steven Eagles doesn't help. The fact Crackout are at present supporting indie no-marks Haven is indicative of their mass non-appeal and their future looks as secure as York City's survival in the football league.

Updated: 08:42 Thursday, April 22, 2004