Instead of pursuing Ride's
shimmering waves of guitar distortion,
Andy Bell decided to go Britpop with
Hurricane #1. In other words, Hurricane
#1's eponymous debut sounds a bit like
Oasis, only with a fondness for
Madchester rhythms, trancy interludes
and extended jams. When the group
does pull it all together, they can sound
monstrous -- "Let Go of the Dream" and
"Stand in Line" have powerful
psychedelic overtones, and the jangly
"Strange Meeting" is charming. However,
too much of Hurricane #1 finds the group
struggling with Noelrock, and while it's
clear that the band simply doesn't have
the brash hooks or intoxicating
arrogance of the Gallaghers, they keep
fighting ahead. Only when the group
opens up toward the end, letting their
own blend of trad-rock and psychedelic
space-rock come forward, do Hurricane
#1 sound like a storm. ~ Stephen
Thomas Erlewine, All-Music Guide
Released: 10/28/1997 on Sire Records (Warner Bros)
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