The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 133

Rock Pop Music Reviews Sinales Much-fancied (in every way) soul singer with questionaDioaicuont snomorunes snumunow dui an unuemaoie miciii 101 ripping we guis oui ut a nrrt-rtinnnuninv Thniinh hv lllf limn ho starts screaming "never never uauy at we lop 01 nis range, "oes suunu mure desperate to convince himself than anybody else. Just Llonrock Straight At Yer Head (deConstruction) dusrm Kouensun, ana MunrucK, is nuuwu iui 1115 ball-breaking 10-minuto neo-techno workouts. He apparently forgot this while making Straight At Yer Head, a deftly crafted hip hop thine pleasantly remini- 1 seem UI etu ly uuiiauii i inn vvuii uuaa ic Mancunian rap scene's very own Royer McGough cultural toils of oppressed countries can spoil the fun. gonna mess around mi uie mui uuiuununy well on the continent, nut scream (epic; What do you cet when you cross the self-loathing of Alanis Morissette with the voice compression techniques ofPortishead and the paranoid folkiness of Sincad O'Connor? If your answer to this question is "a here's a record to prove you right. Scream is UtlVUl ever shudder along to, with lyrics seemingly inspired by Sally Field's six-hour split-personality saga.

Sybil: "My head is full of magic And 1 am people that 1 wish I'd never Make room on that coijch, ladies. Glna Ooh Just A Little Bit (Eternal) After the pitiful pop-rap pertormance ot last year l.nnm,.nntnH nrcirnnik I1K nntr.ints I-OVf! CitV uuSSJ Groove, this year's Eurovision judges (the people. no less) nave wisely opieu Saturday 23 NaimaAMrtar Traditional ghazals and suits blended with jazz and corilcmporary from this leading Asian singer, whose collaborators Included Pago and Jah Wobble. Walthamslow Assembly Hall, Forest Road. 17(0181-521 7111)8pm, 0.

cones 4. Bad Manners Busier Bloodvessel's ska Iroupers, Fanlails Nightclub. Peacock Centre, Woking (01483-761144) 8pm, E5-E6. TheBluatones Stone Roscy Hounslow guitar pop. University ol London Union, Matel Street.

WC1 (0171-3235481) 8pm. phono lor availability Cast Hitmaking'60s-inlluencedbail. Hie Forum, Highgate Road, NW5 (0171-344 0044) 7pm, 8.50. WA Catatonia Fiery Welsh indie-tunesmilhs. The Garage, Highbury Corner, N5 (0171-607 1B18CC 344 0044) 8pm.

5 RltaCoolidge Cabaret performance by the Grammy Award-winning singer. Cate Royal. Regent Street. 1 (0171-437 WA Hassan ErraJI Moroccan mutli-insliumentalist. Purcell Room, South Bank Centre.

SE1 (0171-9804242)7 30pm. C10 WA The Faith Brothers Reformed '80sduo. The Orange, North End Crescent. North End Road. W14 (0171-371 4317) 8.30pm, 6-17.

Goodchilde Mod rock tour-piece Dublin Castle, Paikway. NWI (01 71 -485 1773) 8 30pm, 4, COIttS 3,50. Tho Hamsters Hendrix-inspiicd blues-rockers. Hall Moon, Lower RichmondRoad, SW15(0l81-7800383)830pm. phone for pricos.

The Hollies Sixties pop band of He Ain't Heavy tame. Wycombe Swan, SI Mary Sliocl. Hign Wycombe (01494-512000) Lenny Kravitz Flares-sporting Hendtix imprcssionisl. Wembley Arena, Empire Way Stella Marls, Duma, Submission Croatian rockers headline. Splash Club, Water Rats, Gray's Inn Road, WC1 (0171-2783879) 8.30pm, 5, cones 3.50.

Euro sounasoi nuinu-iirtiruu iwuhvd iiuib umu r. A nleasantlv vacuous thigh-slapping rear-to-rear MNB, Ultimate Kaos, Sean Magulre, Bonz, Eurogroovs Prince's Trust benefit. Shepherd's Bush Empire. Sheplierd'sBush Green, W12 (01 81 -740 7474) 7pm, E8. MaOkaPukhralondTahlraSyral Pakistan's foremost gtiazal player.

Walermans Arts Centre. Brentford High Streel (0181-5681176) 10.30pm,E10.WAJ Nine Below Zero Hard Bntish boys. Sports Club, High Streel. Walkem, Stevenage (OI438-7499BI)Bpm. 5.

Pierre Rue Manic cajun fiddler. The Weavers, Newington Green Rrad.N1 (0171-2266911) S.30pm,5. The Shave, The Nllon Bombers Double-serving ot English pop. The Monarch. Chalk Farm Road, NWI The Specials Reconstituted ska revival greats.

Mean Fiddler. Hailesden High 5490) Bpill.EtO. TheSuttans Irish glamiockers. Underworld, World's End. Camden High Streel.

NWI 10171 -482 1932) 7.30pm, EG. Toyah Wilcox Band New Wave pop star and TV sexpert plays a rare dale. Bottom Lino, Shepheid's Bush 7.30pm. 6. Sunday 24 Cast See Saturday.

The Forum, 7pm, E8.5U. WA) Chris Fariowe Blues belter of the '60s. Fairfield Concert Hall, Park Lane, Croydon (01 Bt -688 9291) 7pm, 8.WA Garbage, Trie Rentals Sleek, light industrial reck, with quirky lock support from Wcezer olfslfflol. Brixton Academy, Stocttwell Road, SW9 (0171 -924 9999) 7pm, E9.50 Sophie Garner Hor Swlnn Kings dance band, 100 CI, Mud St, VII (0171-636 0933) 7.30pm, IS-E7. Gregory Isaacs Languoious reggae crooner.

Alleycat, Gun Street, Reading (01734-561116) 8pm, 8.50. GaryNunun Futurist synUi-pop forebear making an unlikely return Id credibility. Astoria, Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0171 -434 0403) 7pm, 14. SOU I THE GUIDE 39 stompcr, Ooh will do where they appreciate sucn uawuiness D.O.S.E. teat.

Hark Smith Plug Myself In (ColiseumPWL) i Ttn Mm.il, n.v,m hie innv lnhlr mnvp into VII Ml llli ui white-boy hip hop courtesy of Manchester answer to the Chemical Brothers. Distorted breakbeats. Brillo Pad scratches, and anciently futuristic siren noises all conspire to make this possibly the only record on whicn Mam ts nas appeareu wiiei not the most unlistenablc clement. eMAU. Tha Piip Themfl (Warner Bros) Sounding even stronger plucked from its natural hahttat (ie isseconus mug tuA.u,iiiiuii; blurred photos of cloud formations) than the Twin Peaks theme did, the original version or this whistler's delight dawdles a little, but for frightening clubbers it should prove more invaluable than a strip-search.

The same can't be said for the two doltish alternative mixes a pompous War OfTlie Worlds-ish house trawl, and an axe-led treatment from PM Dawn (wnose nioniui snip i iuhk uuw which sounds too much like Eric Clapton's televisual dabMings for comfort. Spooky. Album OJ The Week Beastle Boys The In Sound From Way Out (Capitol) "Mature" isn't a word often applied to the Beasties, vet The In is just that. This cut-price collection of instrumental LP-nilers, although a little soporific at times, often has you believing you're listening to a bunch orpnmo seventies funk toil inn it all hang out claviers and all. MAR 23-29 1996.