Chumbawamba - The Boy Bands Have Won (No Masters) Had they then realized the nature of his private torment, would this new mellow and restrained Chumbawamba really have perpetrated such a savage act of humiliation on the man who remains the most loved and respected Deputy Prime Minister of the Blair years? Would they still have cooked up the bucket caper if they’d known it would tip Prescott over into his secret Bulimic Hell? Judging by the lyrics of this latest collection I suspect this to be more likely than not. The band may have slimmed down and folkified somewhat, but in moving on from Tubthumping they’re still doing plenty of side-swiping: at cyber-geeks, Bono, boy bands, executioners, oppressors, and in the enigmatic “Hull or Hell” maybe even their old adversary. The twenty-five songs average out at less than three minutes each, and cut across a myriad of contemporary themes, united by a common concern for recycled culture. Thankfully this is achieved without the first hint of lyrical worthiness or musical overindulgence. Instead both parts and whole are uplifting, charming, erudite and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and in all an admirable showcase for their new acoustic style. www.chumba.com Neil B. Next Past Reviews: March 07, April 07, May 07, June/July 07, Sept/Oct 07, Dec07, Jan08, Feb 08, Mar 08