James have never been the band of the moment and it's really too late for that now. 1997 marks the 15th anniversary of the band's formation and Whiplash is no way to celebrate. Their ninth release is a very hit- and- miss affair, mixing some truly abyssmal tracks in with some of the band's best work ever.

Whiplash's opening track, "Tomorrow," would be the only real reason to purchase the album. Co-written with Brian Eno, its music is quite anthemic and is their most lyrically inspiring track to date. ("Your grip is too strong / You can't catch love with a net or a gun / Gotta keep faith that your luck would change / Tomorrow.") James uses the same crescendo formula on "She's a Star" and it works. Songs like "Play Dead" are incredibly beautiful production- wise, but tend to outright fail in the lyrics department.

Sadly, there's not much else of interest here. Over the course of their career, James has only released one really great album (1994's underappreciated James/Eno collaboration, Wah Wah) and a handful of terrific singles. A greatest hits collection from these guys would be the thing to own.

-Ryan Schreiber