Handcream for a Generation

My morning CD was Cornershop this morning with the follow up to their breakthrough album, Handcream for a Generation.
I think this is the most perplexing album so far. I will come to why in a moment but just a quick note on Cornershop. I used to work with the percussionist from Cornershop, Pete Bengry. That is my Cornershop fact.
Now as to it’s perplexiness. The way I see this album is that they saw the remix worked on the single Brimful of Asha and let that dictate their sound. Its an odd album that is disjointed and has elements which are really really good, opening track Heavy Soup being the one that springs to mind. But where it should be diverse, its just a rag bag of ideas, over produced and performed unsuccessfully. It sways from reggae, to rock, to house music, all with a fatboy slim sheen. This is Clinton, the Cornershop side project but with the Cornershop name attached in a cynical attempt to sell more records. It just does not work for me though.
I really was very disappointed in its overall feel, its random at times and certainly forced, none of it seems genuine and “4 real”. Its uninspiring and cynical and all good points are lost and wiped out by the bad. The worst being a 14 minute noodling epic featuring Noel Gallagher. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. They should be ashamed by that, but they aren’t. 0 out of 10. This is a CD that just may be bouncing off the tarmac of the A38.