A LOOK at the latest CD singles and album reviews.

SINGLES:

MELANIE C: Here It Comes Again (Virgin)

THE Spice Girls' most talented member returns with a very disappointing single. Chiselled from the same stone that gave us her Northern Star single, when you consider she's been away for so long there has been very little progress.

KINESIS: And They Obey (Independiente)

A FIRM live favourite from the outspoken Bolton band, it's a three-and-a-half minute outburst of intent. The band see the the track as an attack on the North American Free Trade Association, comparing the overtly totalitarian regimes of the past and subtle imperialist mechanisms used today. But when the music sounds this good it proves you can mix rock and politics and keep credibility.

ALBUMS:

BEN HARPER: Diamonds On The Inside (Virgin)

ACCLAIMED musician Ben Harper is back with his first studio album in four years. All 14 songs are Harper originals, that effortlessly capture an intriguing mix of heavy funk and folky textures. Self-produced and deeply emotional, the sterling musicianship captures some of his finest moments.

TURIN BRAKES: Ether Song (Source)

RECORDED over a frenetic three-week period in LA, the duo have put down the acoustic guitars and gone electric.

Following up their Mercury Music Prize-nominated Optimistic LP was always going to a tall order. But taking the route steered most recently by Starsailor looks like a wrong turn for a great band.