More than 20 years after their first album "Eight Legged Groove Machine" was released creating a giant giggle within the Indie scene, The "Stuffies" give us "Suspended By Stars". Oh dear.

Everyone has their sell by date and baked beans have the misfortune of it being stamped on them for all to see. In some respects it may have been beneficial to employ the same tact with Miles Hunt and the rest of The Wonder Stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed dancing round with friends at Alternative Discos to "Size of a Cow", but that was more than a decade ago and even I've had to realise I can't go to those places anymore.

I want to like "Suspended By Stars", because I grew up with these sorts of bands, but after many plays there are just no real redeeming features. True, there are catchy tracks in the form of "Last Second of the Minute" and "Blah Blah, Lah Di Dah" and the band have with their age changed their style resembling more of a classic rock sound ("Angelica Maybe" excluded)and heading in the U2 direction, but I fear this album will soon sink into the all too familiar 3 for Â£10 section.

Miles Hunt can still churn out those cheeky lyrics and the Album isn't terrible, it's just doesn't hold any of the virtues that made this band so successful in the late 80's and early 90's. Surely one for diehard followers and as long as they are content, I'm sure The Wonder Stuff will be happy too.

2.5/5
Elliott Bambrough

Rating guide:
9-19 Essential purchase
7-8 Good, definite buy if you've liked this artist in the past
5-6 OK only, don't say I didn't warn you
3-4 Poor, even for this artist
1-2 Awful