AMG REVIEW: Supergrass' debut album I Should Coco rushed by at such a blinding speed that some listeners didn't notice the melodic complexity of its best songs. On their second album, the cleverly-titled In it for the Money, Supergrass brought the songs to their forefront, slowing the tempos considerably and constructing a varied, textured album that makes their ambition and skill abundantly clear. From the droning mantra of the opening title track, it's clear that the band has delved deeply into psychedelia and hints of Magical Mystery Tour are evident throughout the album, from swirling organs and gurgling wah-wahs to punchy horn charts and human-beat-boxes. In fact, Supergrass has subsituted the punky rush of I Should Coco for such sonic details, and while that means they only occasionally touch upon the break-neck pace of the debut (the hard-driving "Richard III"), they also deepen its joyful exuberance with subtle songs and remarkably accomplished musicianship. There might not be a "Caught by the Fuzz" or "Alright" on In it for the Money, but that's not a problem, since the bright explosion of "Sun Hits the Sky" and the nervy "Tonight" are just as energetic, and the album features introspective numbers like the gorgeous "Late in the Day" and "It's Not Me" that give the album substantial weight. And even with all this musical maturity, they haven't sacrificed their good-natured humor, as the detailed production and the bizarre closer "Sometimes I Make You Sad" makes abundently clear. Sometimes, maturity turns out to be everything it's supposed to be. [The initial American editions of In it for the Money were released with a bonus disc that collected nearly all of the B-sides from the I Should Coco singles, plus selected B-sides from the "Richard III" and "Goin' Out" singles. The B-sides disc is more than just a curiousity, since it contains several gems -- including the Kinks-meets-Revolver stomp of "Melanie Davis," the hilarious country parody "Sex?," the trancy "Nothing More's Gonna Get In My Way" and the gentle "Wait for the Sun" -- that deserve to be in any comprehensive Supergrass library. And it only leaves off three B-sides: a cover of the First Edition's "Condition," a live version of "Strange Ones" and the beat-box blooper reel "Sometimes We're Very Sad," which are all of neglible worth. In other words, it's an excellent bargain.] -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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