Last year these English folk-rockers played together for the first time
since 2001, when singer Tim Booth left James to focus on a solo career.
Nothing on Hey Ma reproduces the dizzy rush of 1993's ''Laid,'' the band's
biggest U.S. hit, but several cuts get surprisingly close: On
''Waterfall,'' over a bright trumpet line and ringing guitar riff, Booth
reports that it ''don't take a phone company to tell you life's
pay-as-you-go.'' The protest song ''Hey Ma,'' meanwhile, locates hope amid
body bags and fallen towers. B
DOWNLOAD THIS: Listen to ''Waterfall'' and the rest of the album on the band's website
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.