Magic Hotel

"Lady Let Me Shine" displays a more mature side to Washborn's songwriting and makes a pleasant change from the usual attempts at pedestrian "feel-good" denim-rock that clogs up the rest of the album, but it cries out for another "Achilles Heel"--the emotional standout track from their first album Onka's Big Moka. To make matters worse, "Leave Me Be" sounds like "Twist and Shout" as performed by the Budley Salterton Village Fete Skiffle Band and the inclusion of "The Midas Touch" must surely be the greatest example of subconscious irony to have ever graced a record. Perhaps the extended break and celebrity weddings have dampened their muse; either way, at the moment, Toploader give soft rock a bad name. --Ben Johncock