Hurricane #1

Hurricane #1: Alex Lowe (vocals, guitar); Andy Bell (guitar, keyboards,
background vocals); Will Pepper (bass); Gareth Farmer (drums, percussion).
Additional personnel: Chopper Harris (keyboards); Idha (background vocals).
Personnel: Alex Lowe (vocals, guitar); Andy Bell (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Gareth Farmer (drums, percussion).
Instead of pursuing Ride's shimmering waves of guitar distortion, Andy Bell decided to go Britpop with Hurricane #1. In other words, Hurricane #1's eponymous debut sounds a bit like Oasis, only with a fondness for Madchester rhythms, trancy interludes and extended jams. When the group does pull it all together, they can sound monstrous -- "Let Go of the Dream" and "Stand in Line" have powerful psychedelic overtones, and the jangly "Strange Meeting" is charming. However, too much of Hurricane #1 finds the group struggling with Noelrock, and while it's clear that the band simply doesn't have the brash hooks or intoxicating arrogance of the Gallaghers, they keep fighting ahead. Only when the group opens up toward the end, letting their own blend of trad-rock and psychedelic space-rock come forward, do Hurricane #1 sound like a storm. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine