Echobelly's first issues, 1994's Everybody's Got One and 1995's On, were a godsend to those of us who were really getting sick of Oasis. Here was British pop that was cocky, confident, brash, and smart, and it was being sung by an attractive and exotic- looking woman. It was like listening to Blondie, if Debbie Harry was from London and about twenty years younger. Somehow you knew that if Echobelly and Oasis were in an Ultimate Fighting match, the Gallagher brothers would have been sent whimpering to the locker room.

Lustra is more mature than Echobelly's previous efforts, with the songs focusing more on adult sexuality than the youthful brashness of their earlier records. This goes for the music as well as the lyrics. Whereas Everybody's Got One was the young, rebellious punk, Lustra is said punk getting their first job after college: the person might be the same, but they're a bit more tame, they have a cleaner hair cut, and they don't stay up as late as they used to.

Gil Norton, producer of such notable records as the Pixie's Doolittle and Belly's Star, was brought in to work this record. His production gives Lustra a clean, full sound. And while that production style may have worked on the aforementioned records, it makes Lustra sound bland and phoned in. Of course, it doesn't help that the catchy hooks, melodies, and strong songwriting of Echobelly's earlier records are missing. To continue the Blondie parallel, Lustra is the Echobelly equivalent of Autoamerican: it consists of a couple of good songs and a slew of crap.

Perhaps it's a sign that Echobelly knows they're losing shelf space in the Brit-pop aisle of the local grocery store. But instead of recording a full-on classic (as Radiohead did when folks were losing interest in them), Echobelly have allowed themselves to become the Reduced- Fat Fritos of British music-- although Echobelly is still digestible, the packaging is gathering a bit of dust, and obviously going out- of- date. Say, are those the new "Garbage" Olestra chips I spy?

-Duane Ambroz

"I'm Not A Saint"

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