Hello June Fool

Madder Rose, having sailed perilously close to the dreaded trap of being more famous for offstage excesses than onstage excellence, offer Hello June Fool as their parting shot for the century - and it's not a bad stab at greatness all things considered.

Opening salvo 'Feels Like Summer' is a poor introduction, however, serving to highlight that at their worst Madder Rose are a poor man's version of Mazzy Star, with a flat production you can only pass off as dreamy-by-numbers. However, 'Overflow' hits the opposite end of the quality spectrum with a free-ranging, deliciously lazy shuffle you won't find this side of the next Massive Attack album.

Hello June Fool is at its consistently strongest in the lyrical department. Its recurring theme is that if you have a really, really good relationship and a very special love and understanding, it is inevitable that one eventually must get close to the bad side of an individual. The concept is very cleverly executed, in its interweaving of airy pop soundscapes with the bittersweetest of hearts, so it's a pity that, at times, their three-dimensional take on love is let down by a one-dimensional sound.