"Vague Us" Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi review by Ruth

While the British love affair with trans-Atlantic new wave continues apace, in our quest for new music we seem to be ignoring what we have on our own shores. Take for example the strange case of Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi. NME darlings for all of ten minutes last year, their scuzzy guitar sound didn't hold media attention for long, and the music weeklies have since moved onto The Strokes, with, erm, their scuzzy guitar sound. See what I mean?

'Vague Us' is a confused melange of lofi, rock'n'roll, punky-paced adrenalin pop and New Order electronica, and with just a schizophrenic tendency to switch between them. 'Maverick' is a mix of Suzy Quattro rock'n'roll, while 'Names...' is New Order do Mansun; and then between the two we take in almost Bis-like sugar-coated pop ('E to C'), Pavement ('Oversexxed') and Mark Linkous vocal stretching. But if that isn't enough, then the glorious 'Playboy' is worth the album price alone. It has everything - singalong guitar parts (complete with do-do-dos), pounding bass and stalking. Which never did Sting any harm. So while the press slobber over the new wave of the new wave of the new wave of America's latest premium exports, just remember - the grass might be greener on the other side, but it doesn't mean that what you're lying on isn't just as fresh.

4/5