Supergrass Album: “Road to Rouen [Japan Bonus Track]”

The last two Supergrass albums, Supergrass and Life On Other Planets, were both mixed affairs. While their sound, both mellow and energetic respectively, sounded like another step in the right direction, aside from the obvious singles there was a lack of sturdy songs on each disc. Some three years later Supergrass has returned with their fifth full-length and what a return it is. Easily their strongest and most consistent album since In It For The Money, Road To Rouen is worth the wait. This release finds Supergrass mellowing their sound without getting depressing or dull. The album still bounces around with a great, subtle energy finding all the songs brimming with a slowly growing beauty. The opening track "Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)" starts out as a beautiful acoustic number which then transforms, with the help of some majestic horns ala Ennio Morricone, into a full out blues-stomp rocker. It's a great example of Supergrass' ability to twist their songs around while staying inside the same groove and now they show this great talent through the course of nine songs. Unlike prior releases, Road To Rouen stays in the same groove and never seems spastic or inconsistent, even on the hilarious intermission "Coffee In The Pot." Singles "St. Petersburg" and "Low C" find Supergrass in full acoustic mode, both songs being prime examples of just how beautiful music can be. The mini-epic "Roxy," the funky rock of the Curtis Mayfield-esque title track, and the shimmering, electric mod-rock of "Kick In The Teeth" show us that Supergrass can still rock, even if their sound is more sophisticated than the youthful punk of I Should Coco. Despite all these varying styles, none of the songs seem out of place here. Every track on Road To Rouen grows more and more classic with every listen, making it the most beautiful album of Supergrass' career and their best in the last eight years.

I also have been lucky enough to get my hands on this before the US release. As a long, long time fan of this band i continue to wonder how they fly so far under the radar, as oasis, blur, coldplay etc. get so much atention. Sure, i love the grass's more rocking numbers from past albums as much as the rest of you, but this cd's more mellow feel is just fantastic. Mid to late era beatles and the trippy acoustic electric side of zeppelin are splashed all over this disc, just check out the opening track. This is fine work, perhaps their best to date. I do not like to write long reviews, so as a summary of perhaps the finest english band of the last 15 years....put it in your cart now!!!

I first noticed Supergrass with their "We Are Young" video tagged onto the end of the Clueless DVD. Seeing them at The Fillmore in 1997 made me a dedicated fan. But their last release, Life On Other Planets, while still catchy and fun, left me thinking the band was about out of steam and creativity - it also left me wondering if I hadn't put on Electric Warrior by mistake.

I gave my wife Road as a sure-fire Christmas present, expecting good and catchy tunes that were more of the same, but I was blown away when she put it on. Road to Rouen is an album of vibrant color and depth that also captures the energy and buoyancy of the Supergrass we all know and love. Their best since In It For The Money, if not their best - period. And no, the sound is not the same as the raw hormonal exuberance of I Should Coco, just as Revolver wasn't Please Please Me. A great, fully realized album that leaves me eager to find out what they will create next.

The worthy follow-up to Supergrass' eponymous 1999 masterpiece has arrived in the form of their newest release, "Road to Rouen."

Though it featured the wonderfully bouncy single "Grace," there was something rather labored and unexciting about 2002's "Life On Other Planets." I wasn't worried. It just seemed like the inevitable letdown after a classic, and I was confident they'd be alright. "Rouen" shows they're just fine.

The boys chose to record this one in France, and the atmosphere seems to have filtered into the music. There were hints of this sound on "Supergrass," but the band has wandered further away from the simple head-bobbing of their "Alright" days and into the more expressive tones of adult soul-searching. "Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)" is a perfect starter, setting the mood and showing a willingness to experiment. The somber "St. Petersburg" would not have been my choice as a lead-off single; I would've leaned toward "Kick In the Teeth" or a mixed-down version of "Roxy" for that. However, it sparkles in the second half with a keyboard reminiscent of David Holmes' "Rodney Yates." The title track and "Low C" show that the fellas have not lost their knack for a chorus, but the real treat is the closer, "Fin." This is as close to a ballad as Supergrass has ever come. Maybe `lullaby' is a better word. Either way, it's totally unexpected and quite lovely.

This is one of the few bands to come along in the last decade whose new releases I get excited about. I'm glad to see that I have good reason to keep getting excited.

Hardly anyone in Australia has heard of Supergrass...it's a real shame because millions of people don't know what they're missing out on...nevertheless I was fortunate enough to hear their self-titled album one night two years ago when a band here threw in a Supergrass CD between sets...and I havent looked back.

"Road to Rouen" sees a maturing of Supergrass. 'Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)', 'St. Petersburg' and 'Low C' are the elevated moments on this too-short album (9 songs is a bit of a rip-off, hence the 4 stars) that sees a musical development that was touched on with the previous 'Hollow Little Reign', 'Moving' and 'Prophet 15'. You'll be excused for thinking like I do that you're listening to a titivating rendition of "Abbey Road"...there is no mistaking it...it's very Beatleish but that's ok because it works without being tacky. It's low point is 'Coffee in the Pot" which sounds like it should be on a Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass album but Supergrass can get away with it becuase their music is so diverse...I just don't think many people will like it. Overall the album is good; very good. Now I just have to wait for the next one!