"Devil's Haircut" is a big stomp of a record, with a massive guitar riff, a dance beat and Beck's typically laconic and laid-back vocals. No-one knows what he's going on about ("Got a devil's haircut in my mind") - he probably isn't that sure either as he bounces about his garage - but whereas some, such as Evan Dando, sound wearied and boring attempting the same thing, Beck always manages to sound fresh and vital. Although he would hate the comparison with his milestone/millstone, this is as good as "Loser".

The b-sides are an original and compelling dance mix by The Dust Brothers; "American Wasteland", which is a thrash punk - and excellent - version of the title track; and ".000.000" (erm..?), a bizarre sound experiment of backwards-recorded effects, spaced-out, processed vox and heaven knows what else - bit on the tedious side this one! However, the title track and the two alternative versions of it on the b-side warrant a top mark.

Rating: 10/10

An EP, the extra tracks are also impressive stuff. "Perfect Plan 9T6" is a creepy Hazel O'Connor-ish (honest!) new-wave bit of man-baiting; "Kamikaze Annelids" an acoustic disposable number; and "Girl's Best Friend" - the best of the extra songs - is a great mellow tune, rounding off another impressive and good-value offering from Kenickie.

Rating: 9/10

Talking of MBV, take a listen to "Icicle". With it's droning mantra-like guitar and male/female vocals, this is worthy of "Isn't Anything"-era Valentine. The other track on offer here is the playground moog of "Fleas' Song", a cheap n' cheerful piece of bedroom indie-pop.

Rating: 9/10