Polythene

02/10/1998 3:00 AM, LAUNCH
Rob O'Connor

Curiously, while bands here in the United States were quick to jump on the Nirvana bandwagon, turning into one-trick grunge ponies with strong appetites for hooks and angst, English groups--Bush aside--refused to join in and kept working a crazy little thing called Britpop. Feeder, a trio two-thirds from South Wales (bassist from Japan!), are sneaking an early-'90s tribute into their tunes by emulating that old trick of keeping the riff heavy while dosing the chorus with sickly sweet hooks. The result is both grunge AND Britpop.

The hooks of "Polythene Girl" and "My Perfect Day" hail straight from Seattle, while "High" could be Oasis on their best day. Which is to say, give these fellas time and they could surprise us in a way beyond their obvious influences. The raw materials are there.