May 1, 1999

Villa Elaine

Beware of American bands 'highly respected' by the likes of [a]REM[/a]'s [a]Michael Stipe[/a] and [a]Counting Crows[/a]' [B]Adam Duritz[/B], or more recently, by any of [B]Radiohead[/B]....

4 / 10 Beware of American bands 'highly respected' by the likes of REM's Michael Stipe and Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, or more recently, by any of Radiohead. They might as well be recommending their own tribute band.

/img/RemyZero599.jpg Remy Zero sound like Radiohead if they'd gone to drama school and music college but never learnt how to write a tune. Singer Cinjun Tate sounds like Thom Yorke if he was trying twice as hard to sound profound, with half the emotional depth. And the music? Well, these songs will be played endlessly on the new Xfm and their London gigs will undoubtedly be sold out (and full of ex-pats) every time they come over. And they will be a footnote in a pub pop quiz in two years' time.

Remy Zero seems like a good name but without meaning anything, just as they look like musicians but not a band, and just as these sound like songs without having any discernible melody. 'Hermes Bird' is vaguely downbeat introspection, 'Prophecy' is Grant Lee Buffalo with a personality bypass, and 'Life In Rain' is to all intents and purposes 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' without the, erm, spirit.

The single 'Gramarye' has a certain yearning passion that distracts momentarily, but otherwise, this goes in one ear and out the other, then in one eye and out the other on MTV and VH-1 in between Gap adverts.

Never offensive or incompetent enough to be a Zero, just mediocre enough to be a