Supergrass

04/20/2000 5:26 PM, LAUNCH
Tim Sheridan

Pure pop is a heady drug. It makes lifelong junkies. And how many musicians have tried to recapture the simple grandeur of three minutes of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, or the Beatles? But such recycling rarely leads to memorable music. Indeed, when was the last time a new album got in your system and just demanded to be heard? Well, Supergrass makes addictive albums. Its eponymous third release is perhaps the most dangerously delicious so far. It's a rich, bouncing pop album that thankfully has enough meat to withstand the repeat listenings required once its hooks get into you.

What is perhaps most remarkable about the disc is how well the band uses the trademarks of great pop without falling into cliche. On opener "Moving," singer Gaz Coombes croons over an acoustic strum and string section. But just when you think you have the song figured out it bursts into a funky shuffle. And the aural palette only gets richer as the album continues, layering keyboard patterns, guitar hooks and irresistible back beats into a continuous stream of gems. It's music with breadth, energy and plenty of good humor (just give a listen to "Jesus Came From Outta Space"). It's a fine legal high.