Texas, it's fair to say, are not exactly the coolest band in the world. They are, however, certainly one of the most popular, selling over 20 million albums of their soul-flavoured pop since forming in Glasgow way back in 1986. Clearly these canny Scots have hit upon a winning formula, and on Careful What You Wish For they show no signs of wanting to mess about with it. Their first studio effort for three years is yet another collection of upbeat, glossily-produced pop songs, blending Sharleen Spiteri's sultry vocals with Johnny McElhone's melodic guitars and polished beats. Perhaps the only really surprising element is Spiteri's new dancehall influence, which finds her duetting with the Canadian MC Kardinal Offishall and producing two tracks with the London raga collective Suncycle. The cynics will sneer, but it's worth remembering that Texas are the only female-fronted British band to maintain success for the best part of two decades. At its best, Careful What You Wish For shows why.

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