Supergrass – Road To Rouen
(Capitol)

Back when Supergrass first careened onto the British music scene in 1995, their debut album “I Should Coco” was a blast of youthful energy paying tribute to The Who, The Buzzcocks, and plenty of great British bands who knew how to party in style. A lot of people thought they were a mere flash in the pan; a band that borrowed too heavily from their heroes to truly stand on their own.

Which is why it’s hard to believe that this trio of cheeky lads from Oxford are still together over 10 years later proving their critics wrong. Their last release was a 10 year anniversary singles collection. They’re no longer a trio (they’ve since added lead singer Gaz Coombes’ brother Robert on keyboards) and they’re not quite so young anymore. The music has matured along with the musicians, and with that in mind, I was a little worried that “Road To Rouen” would find them grasping at straws and churning out anything just to keep their careers alive.

I shouldn’t have been concerned, as “Road To Rouen” is a solid album that confirms the fact that Supergrass have finally found their own voice. It’s hard to mistake the album’s epic feel, from the strings on songs like the 6-minute “Roxy”, to the almost gospel-style backing choir on “Low C”. And yet, all the vocal harmonies and raw guitar hooks that make Supergrass exciting and addictive are still there. Songs like “Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)”, “Sad Girl” and the title track, are moody and reflective but still manage to rock.

The album reminds me most of Supergrass’ second album, “In It For The Money”. I can’t say I don’t miss the giddy adolescent fun of “I Should Coco”, but the band themselves sound like they’re still having a lot of fun here. They are much more accomplished musicians, but not above writing slightly silly songs like the Russian cowboy twang of the instrumental “Coffee In The Pot”.

One of my complaints about the album is that with only 9 tracks and 35 minutes of music, it does feel a little short. I suppose “Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)” might be considered 3 separate songs (although they still only add up to 5 and a half minutes), but for all the grand scale that some of the instrumentation tries to conjure, it never quite reaches its peak. Still, as a fan of Supergrass who had lost touch with the band after their last couple albums, I was pleasantly surprised. “Road To Rouen” reminded me how good this band can be when they are on their game, and that they shouldn’t be counted out yet. They may have another 10 years left in them to say the least. — Sean

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