POP: ALBUM REVIEWS

Clinton `Clinton and the Halfway to Discontent' (Meccico)

Cornershop's disco side-project welds funk, house and happy hip-hop beats on to Indian, and even gospel music. When it works, as on "People Power in the Disco Hour", it's a joy, but there are also a few filler tracks. HHH

Everything But the Girl `Temperamental' (Virgin)

Since Walking Wounded, Ben Watt has polished up his mix of deep house and drum 'n' bass beats. The result is sometimes too polished, while elsewhere the beats ambush Tracy Thorn's haunting lyrics. HHH

Tom Jones `Reload' (Gut)

The idea of Tom doing 17 duet covers of material from Peggy Lee to Talking Heads isn't a bad one. And though the voice is still there, and singing with the likes of Van Morrison and James Dean Bradfield brings good results, many partnerships (Robbie Williams, Cerys Matthews) and interpretations are plain awful. HH