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The cheeky lads in Supergrass were mere teens when they rode in on the mid-’90s wave of Britpop that also spawned Oasis. Following 2005’s uncharacteristically subdued Road to Rouen, the electrifying Diamond Hoo Ha finds the foursome back as their old swaggering selves, spewing snappy, overheated songs that embody intelligent excess. If it’s easy to find echoes of Bowie’s sexy glam rock (“Rebel in You”) and the Who’s epic sweep (“345”), the flashy exuberance of “Whiskey & Green Tea” or “Ghost of a Friend” is entirely their own, thanks to Gaz Coombes, a classic rock front man who combines sleaze and good cheer in one charming package.
