IT'S hard to fathom how Hootie And The Blowfish notched the biggest-selling debut album of all time back in 1994, a title they share with Alanis Morissette and Boston.

For while this is polished and professional, it's so mellow as to be practically a sedative. This isn't music to dance to, it's music to thrum your fingers to on the steering wheel as you drive resolutely down the middle of the road. There's nothing to offend here, but neither is there anything to excite, to seize hold of your spirit and demand that you listen. It's a time passer, 48 minutes of homogenous rock for those who don't need every second to be filled with urgency - and sadly some of us couldn't give a hoot.

Updated: 16:47 Wednesday, March 26, 2003