THEY'VE HAD more hits than Madness, were the first reggae group to top the charts in the U.S. (with 'Red Red Wine') and have been the unofficial 'international ambassadors of reggae' for over a decade and a half now. Their most recent single, 'Can't Help Falling In Love' - which is featured on this album - also went to number one. Why then does Promises And Lies seem so tepid, so unexceptional, so tediously dull?

Part of the problem is familiarity. UB40 songs are instantly recognisable, radio-friendly, well-tested (all their chart-toppers have been covers) and usually irresistibly danceable. As a singles band primarily, they can't seem to come up with enough interesting variation these days to fill a complete album, which is why their 'Greatest Hits' collections make more sense for the average fan.

Another dilemma for them is the fact that their strong political messages of a decade ago, ring a little hollow now. Nothing has changed, the Tories are still in power and British unemployment - from which they indirectly took their moniker - is as high as ever. All of which makes a track like 'Things Ain't Like They Used To Be' a little mysterious lyrically: "It's dog eat dog, it's hand to mouth/It's east and west, it's north and south".

Sure, there are the catchy numbers like 'Higher Ground' and 'Bring Me Your Cup' which'll probably surface as singles in the near future, while the amusing 'Reggae Music' which chronicles the story of the group in a ragga toasting style. They also make a few concessions to the more prevalent electronic sounds of the nineties - as in the use of synth bass on 'Desert Sand' - but ultimately one is left with the impression that the band's creative juices weren't taxed too much in the making of this record.

It's not that bad, it's just that it's . . . indifferent. Perhaps fittingly, the closing track is called 'Sorry'!

* Colm O'Hare