Hard-Fi

Submerge the Clash in MDMA and Hard-Fi are a good approximation of what would result: all-punk guitar stabs tempered with reggae stylings, set against the hedonistic rumble of the dancefloor. While the relentless quest for the next Britpop anthem typifies CCTV, the band captures something about the frustrations of 21st century English life.

Stronger on quotidian horror than on living for the weekend--in fact, they're so hard up for laughs they call a song that ("Cash Machine," "Feltham Is Singing Out"). (Grade - *)