Shaving Peaches [Bonus CD] [Bonus Tracks]

Until their third album, Regular Urban Survivors, Terrorvision were little more than a faceless metal band. That disc, however, worked as a loose concept album and featured some exceptional songwriting that earned them four big hits in the U.K. For the follow-up, the band hired four producers (including singer/songwriter Edwyn Collins) and wrote 15 of the best songs of their career to date. There is a definite pop leaning to Shaving Peaches that hardcore fans of the band may find disheartening, but the truth is that the band shines when they turn down the guitars a bit. Apparently the British music-buying public thought so as well -- "Tequila" became the band's biggest U.K. hit single to date, peaking at number two. Apart from that anthemic single, however, there is much more to love here: the raucous twang of "Josephine," the Gary Glitter-esque glam rock of "Can't Get You Out of My Mind," disco metal on "Left to the Right," a hard-hitting synthesized rocker in "Babyface" and two tender ballads ("Day After Day" and "Vegas"). The only places that the album wears thin are on the more midtempo tracks, which are neither aggressive, tender nor particularly catchy. Luckily, there's more memorable material than filler on this disc, making it a very worthwhile purchase for Brit-pop fans. ~ Jason Damas