Never happy writing a three-minute pop song when they can knock out a rock opera, Mansun continue to flirt with the ghost of prog. Opener Negative sets the tone. Its rousing chorus swallowed by the guitarist's FX pedals. Meaty hooks drown in silly noises, as if the songs won't admit they're three-chord fist-punchers and not the epics they yearn to be. It's frustrating, as the likes of Shotgun and Being A Girl only just shape up as appealing power-pop bef ore veering into overelaborate melodrama. In a word - sweaty.

(2/5) DL