Planet Of The Apes

A little bit of a lot makes this album interesting, though often confusing.

Looking for some alternative hip-hop style music? Well, go ahead and try this one.

The album is full of experimentation, which basically means slightly spaced-out voices, hypnotic beats, special effects and the occasional funky reggae number. And there's even a Pink Floyd hangover in the way the songs seem to overlap and drift into each other. The effort is commendable, but the group needs to focus a bit more.

The numbers themselves fluctuate in quality. "Tomorrow Comes Today" is a great number, with a wacky chorus line and a good beat. Then there's the curiously titled "Clint Eastwood", which mixes a reggae song with some odd music"Starshine" is a great number, if you're into drawn-out, slightly pyschedelic tunes. A fair amount of songs mix in a reggae theme with the beats - I just wish they had tried that more, instead of the vague experimentation that creeps into every other song. There are a couple of party-style numbers - lively, catchy and good to listen to - as well, like "Punk" and "Rock The House". But there are also a few pretty sub-standard pieces, where the guys have tried to go for something new and gone overboard instead.

There's a little bit of a lot in this album - reggae, rock, psychedilia, hip-hop and rave. The overal effect is decent, making this a band to look out for.

This article was first published on10 Nov 2001.