SOMETIMES bands are well named, sometimes they aren't. Leaves may not be the most memorable name, but it suits this Icelandic outfit.

For just as leaves take on a vast array of different colours as autumn creeps in, so this band offers a similar range of sounds.

Opening tracks I Go Down and Catch have the lead singer sounding like Joy Division's Ian Curtis, Deep Blue is a parallel to Coldplay's Yellow, and yet Alone In The Sun is a burst of rock riffs that Def Leppard might not overlook.

This is good - easily-pigeonholed bands are not for me - but it makes the kaleidoscope of an album odd listening when these tracks sit side by side.

One thing remains constant - the musicianship is of a high order throughout, so when you get the odd jarring transition, it's not so high a price to pay.

Updated: 09:46 Thursday, August 22, 2002