THIS one will confuse fan and non-believer alike.

Bruce Hornsby, once with the Range and latterly on his jazzy own, puts away his sweeping piano sounds and opts instead for a guitar-driven, electronic-looping wall of funk, reminiscent of anyone from Prince to Sly And The Family Stone. Quite why he has done this only Mr Hornsby knows. At first listen the effect is little more than an electro-din, with songs having little sense or shape. However, repeated listening - as dutifully required of the reviewer - does reveal movement beneath the surface noise, especially on Cartoons & Candy and Try Anything Once. This Too Shall Pass takes a trip into drum'n'bass territory. Big Swing Face is a lot better than it first sounds, but that is as far as it goes. Other than that, it's all rather perplexing.

Updated: 10:09 Thursday, January 23, 2003