Dogged by illness, accidents and perpetual disappointment, it's a minor miracle that indie veterans Shack are still on the go at all. As a new generation of Liverpudlians thrust their city back into the musical spotlight, however, Mick and John Head have made yet another bid for stardom with this typically well-crafted collection of wistful folk-rock. Shack's music has always been a little on the traditional side for some tastes, but Here's Tom... shows just how good they can be when they're on form. In particular, they have a rare facility for making simple sentiments sound beautifully profound - and these twelve deceptively straightforward love songs have a quiet majesty that puts them leagues ahead of such lumpen rivals as Ocean Colour Scene. Now, if only they could do something about those ridiculous album titles.
