Supergrass

Life on Other Planets (Island)
by Tim Den

How are these guys not fucking huge in the States? I mean, have we Americans lost so much of rock ‘n’ roll’s essence that Brits have to show us how to move our apathetic asses? Supergrass have been doing their Bowie/T. Rex/ Rolling Stones thing for four albums now, and the fact that these four greasy Biscuits groove fucking harder than any U.S. band amazes me every time. C’mon! The rest of the world caught on in the mid-’90s! Get with it, “patriots!”

With that said, Life on Other Planets combines the ‘Grass’ best moments from their past three albums into a short’n’sweet trip to Partyville. Opener “Za” and especially “Rush Hour Soul” hit you like the first time you heard… uh… “Pumping on Your Stereo,” as you skid across the living room floor doing your best Jagger. Bassist/vocalist Mick Quinn wrestles his instrument like he’s tango-ing with an anaconda, keyboardist Rob Coombes stretches his MiDi patches like taffy, while guitarist/vocalist Gaz Coombes lathers sticky licks all over the neckboard. These tunes hit on you at a party, take you home, exhaust you in bed, and then leave you thinking about ’em for days to come.

With the manic energy of I Should Coco, the occasional hint of In It for the Money‘s lush moodiness, and the self-titled album’s rollicking bumps’n’grinds, Life on Other Planets is like a “best of” mix of your favorite ass kicking (classic) rock bands. Supergrass is the real thing.
(www.supergrass.com)