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 IMA ROBOT Monument To The Masses (Virgin/EMI) It appears no one was more aware of Ima Robot's commercially disappointing debut than the band themselves. Lyrically, the songs on Monument reflect on failure and perseverance. Musically, there's more of their dance-inspired space-pop, but with more hip-hop flavour and new wave pomp than manic energy. This makes for some awkward moments, like on "Creeps Me Out," where Alex Ebert raps self-referentially over a Stevie B.-influenced beat. The band shoot themselves in the foot by ditching their punk-inspired quirkiness for cheesy bits that aren't catchy enough to appeal to a wide audience, nor imaginative enough to stand out. If their goal was to rectify past failures, they've dropped the ball once again. Shehzaad Jiwani |