Search - Inspiral Carpets :: Devil Hopping

Good, but not their best

11/09/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Inspiral's were right at the centre of the 'baggy' indie scene of the early 90's. They even headlined the Reading Festival one year, and yet...where are they now?Barely remembered, but yet they were a band with genuine musical talent, and a great live act.This was their weakest album, but still a good effort. Where it went wrong was to stray from their proven formula of cheesy keyboards and depressing lyrics about northern bus stops.Worth a listen though.By the way...- they really are named after a type of carpet - they were widely accepted as the ugliest band in Britain"

(two and a half stars) Disappointing

trainreader | Montclair, N.J. | 12/13/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"In order to rate the one hundred or so albums I've reviewed so far on this website, I generally listen to the album three or more times, even if I'm already very familiar with it. Although I've listened to the Inspiral Carpets' "Revenge of the Goldfish," many times (and awarded it four and a half stars), I think I must have originally listened to "Devil Hopping" twice, and put it away. After dusting off the disc in preparation for this review, I now know the reason: besides the first song "I Want You," "Devil Hopping" is boring. Sure, some of the songs have promising riffs or slightly catchy choruses, but by and large, they're lackluster, unmemorable, and just don't really go anywhere. Perhaps tracks 1 ("I Want You"), 9 (I do like the subtle instrumentation here), 11, and 12 might be better than the rest, but other than 1, I can't even say this for sure. Even track 1, one of the band's hardest rockers, is easily surpassed by "Caravan, "Generations," and I'm Not Your Savior" from prior albums.



"Devil Hopping" is one you can skip unless you're a diehard Inspiral Carpets fan. Stick with the far superior "Revenge of the Goldfish," and the band's lively retro-sounding debut album, "Life." One gimmick: it's the bands fourth album, and it's exactly 44 minutes and 44 seconds long. Kind of neat, but doesn't make the music any better."