Albums

Feeder - Pushing The Senses

Alex Worsnip 31/01/2005

Rating: 2/5

Feeder's last album, completed in the wake of drummer Jon Lee's death, was an understandably subdued effort of MOR rock punctuated by one or two good moments. Having said this, you would expect their new album to return to something a little more rollicking. Not so. 'Pushing The Senses' continues the rot. From first track 'Feeling A Moment', which lies about halfway between 'High' and 'Just The Way I'm Feeling', it's clear this is more safe, slightly pretty, US-inspired rock-pop. 'Don't ever feel that you're alone/I'd never let you down' sings Grant Nicholas, sweetly, but sounding about as clichéd as a self-help manual. The song is formulaic if bearable.

The bad thing is that it is the album's best track. Single 'Tumble and Fall' is an English indie dirge that looks to latch onto the success of bands like Snow Patrol, 'Frequency' is like Keane trying to do Lennon, and endless hackneyed ballads like 'Pain on Pain' totally fail to stick in the memory, lacking any originality, killer hooks or energy. I was never a huge Feeder fan, even in their Smashing Pumpkins-aping days, but at least then they were fun - now they've just slid into an ocean of mediocrity, seemingly, now, permanently. But what did you really expect?