One of my favorite bands from the 90s, who in America were always a best-kept British secret. In my mind, they will always have to measure up against their 1999 album 'Post Orgasmic Chill". Skin's vocals are still on point. I think 'This is Not Your Life" proves this point better than the opening track. Then by the time we get to 'Shame," things have mellowed into a shimmering pop pulse, with electronic elements becoming hard to decipher from where guitars are plugged into amps, and the end result is a song so good it does not matter much to me how they got here. However, if you need this band to still be the precursor to nu-metal, things have changed.
"Lost and Found' could have been plucked from a musical. Her voice waltzes over a piano line that moves more with a simple pop beat beneath it. They gain more momentum when the guitars tease a chorus. I listened to "Cheers" three times before the more simplistic rock approach clicked with me so that I paid more attention to it. The pace gets more energetic, but nothing is really hard rocking here. 'Shoulda Been You' has a dub-tinged feel to its reggae-inspired time signature on the verses before it brings a more proto-punk feel to the chorus. There is a pop feel to the dramatic 'Animal," which could just as easily be a Lady Gaga song, but it feels pretty effective here.
There is a 90s feel to the guitar riff that gets "Fell in Love". Skin's vocals floating around it, as the chorus finds things getting weird in an almost David Bowie-like manner. The electro pop of "My Greatest Moment" creates an interesting atmosphere that is not going to be found on the radio in America since it's not garbage. "Meltdown" is an odd choice to close the album with, as it's more of a ballad. I'll give this album a 9.5, as Skin has gathered the guys and made an impressive pop album which is not what I would expect from this band, but is still reasonably true to who they are.
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