CD reviews
 The Saw Doctors
The Cure
Despite never being backed by a major record label Celtic rockers The Saw Doctors have built a world-wide following. The Cure — only their sixth studio album in their 17-year career — should have enough poignant lyricism and melodic power to win them a few more fans.
The new album finds the band with a leaner, purer sound that showcases their always-fantastic lyrics.
In the hands of lesser songwriters, a track like Going Home — about their craving to be back in Ireland whilst spending Christmas in the USA — could be mawkish and smaltzy
but songwriters Davy Carton and Leo Moran imbue the song with a truthful heartfelt yearning that replaces sentimentality with authentic emotion.
Completely different is the next track on the album Your Guitar, which is both witty and insanely catchy and harks back to the band’s earlier cheeky tunes.
The confident handling of such a change in pace shows The Saw Doctors are still at their very best. The Cure is relevant, rocking and, most importantly, genuine.
Orlando Parfitt
 Various artistes
Pop Party 3 If you like your pop music — and there are plenty of us who do — then here is Pop Party 3 which contains 23 of the most infectious tunes from that throwaway world that are guaranteed to get under your skin and have you humming them months later.
Continuing in much the same vein as the previous two volumes Pop Party 3 takes select hits from the current chart and mixes them up with some of your all-time faves.
Current No.1 hit single Push The Button from the Sugababes is here as are recent chart hits from Black Eyed Peas (Let’s Get It Started), Rachel Stevens (So Good), Gwen Stefani (What You Waiting For), Akon (So Lonely) and Charlotte Church (Crazy Chick).
From the vaults of pop comes Steps with Chain Reaction, Kylie’s Better The Devil You Know, The Grease Megamix and Venger Boys We Like To Party.
If you can get past Crazy Frog and Tony Christie then you should be okay.
Phil Savva
 Various artistes
Cool... The Best Pop Album Ever
A similar collection to Pop Party 3 in as much that it‘s a selection of current hits and all-time biggies from the past that every DJ gets asked to play as good old aunts and uncles embarrass themselves on the dancefloor.
Twenty-three tracks that open with the recent Gorillaz hit Feel Good In plus the current offerings from Liberty X (Song 4 Lovers), Lisa Scott Lee (Electric) and Simon Webbe (Lay Your Hands).
The golden oldies pick of the bunch come from Toni Basil with Mickey, Kylie’s Spinning Around, The Archies Sugar Sugar, Atomic Kitten’s The Tide Is High and the irritating yet strangely compelling MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This and DJ Otzi’s Hey Baby.
Once again if you can ignore the dross elements like Axel F (yes that bloody frog gets everywhere!) and Fast Food Rockers then it’s more than compensated by the inclusion of the likes of Jamelia and Blue.
Oh yes and let‘s not forget the Baha Men. Altogether now... “Who let the dogs out...”
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