Only Human

Claiming to have unfinished business after going down with the sinking ship of their former S2 record label, the whipping boys of the early noughties indie scene, Toploader, are either gluttons for punishment or a testament to the power of resolve, having jumped on the reunion bandwagon (minus guitarist Julian Deane) for their third studio album, Only Human. With a lack of any ready-made TV ad soundtracks or covers of '70s funk-pop classics, the bandmembers appear to have learned their lesson from their critically mauled heyday, as its 11 original compositions show they are now an entirely different prospect from their "Dancing in the Moonlight" beginnings. Unfortunately, the newly trimmed four-piece is no less derivative, having basically just switched its allegiances from the retro mod-rock of Paul Weller to the contemporary stadium anthems of Coldplay, as on "Marrakech," which kicks off with intriguing flashes of snake-charming flutes and Middle Eastern ambience before seguing into a blend of Jonny Buckland-esque chiming guitar riffs, thumping drums, and cod-spiritual lyrics; the pounding piano chords and crashing cymbals of the haunting epic "Sound of Your Soul"; and the X&Y-era pulsing beats of "A Balance to All Things" -- all of which suggest that previous Chris Martin cohort Danton Supple might not have been the most inspired choice of producer. The album only starts to feel less mechanical when it drifts away from this tribute act territory, as on the grandiose string-soaked ballad "Shifting Sands," which showcases frontman Joseph Washbourn's impressive falsetto vocals; the jaunty country-pop of "Weight of the World"; and the spiky guitars and throbbing electro basslines of "She Said," one of the few tracks to pursue the synth-led direction hinted at on its teary-eyed robot cover art. With Toploader perhaps understandably burned by the hostile reaction to their early output, Only Human feels as though it's been designed to offend as few people as possible. But while it's unlikely to inspire the vitriol aimed at Onka's Big Moka and At the Magic Hotel, it's also unlikely to inspire anything other than mild appreciation either. ~ Jon O'Brien|