So why is Feeder singer/songwriter/guitarist Grant Nicholas not a superstar yet? Well, these days the average rock god has to be a Neanderthal throwback or a Pope-baiting shock monster. Grant's cute but let's face it, he's basically a bloody nice bloke. Somehow then, he and colleagues Take Hirose and Jon Lee find themselves in the unenviable position of being the British band perpetually destined to be big 'next year'.
It's not that Feeder don't have a large and committed fan base, but the fact that they've so far failed to enter the public consciousness (despite churning out cracking records) makes you wonder if it's ever going to happen. However, with 'Echo Park' they've made the record that gives them their best chance yet of headlining Wembley Arena come December.
You should already be familiar with the singles 'Buck Rogers' and 'Seven Days in the Sun'. The good news is that their unmistakable quiet/loud Feeder formula is very much the order of the day on the album's other ten tracks. The bad news however, for those who like their rock fast and raw, is that the myriad of studio effects drenching both singles are pushed to the fore throughout the album.
The end result of such trickery, combined with Grant's ear for a catchy melody, means that many of these songs won't sound out of place being covered by future generations of boy bands. Don't let this put you off though, as there are enough top tunes to keep fans bouncing around bedrooms for months to come. 'Choke' will be firing up mosh pits for years to come and the perfect harmonies on the chorus of 'Tell All Your Friends' are potentially defining pop moments of 2001.
Throw in 'Under the Weather', the first song to ever include a reference to "Nurofen Plus" and the anthemic 'Satellite News' and you've got one of the most flat out enjoyable records you're likely to hear this year. All Grant needs to do now is start dating an All Saint and offend a major religion. Wembley beckons.
