Given an extended holiday, The Supergrass lads decided to buy a villa in the south of France and convert it into a recording studio (as you do), the result is a quantum leap in the band's sound. In fact the power chord guitar fuzz is a distant memory on their fifth album.

Road To Rouen is epic psychedelia and classic piano driven balladry. The opening track 'Tales of Endurance (Pt 4, 5 and 6)' starts off softly with an acoustic strum, but I am glad they left out the first three parts of the song, as the acoustic strum gently leads into an amazing funked up blues riff last heard at The Last Waltz.

The album ensues with a mixed pack of stripped back, quirky and brain meltingly brilliant songs. It's short, but smart.