Every year without fail, Noel Gallagher proclaims some young new band as the future of rock'n'roll. And every year without fail, that same band releases one album, then promptly slides back into obscurity. (Anyone remember Proud Mary? Didn't think so.) Let's hope a better fate awaits The Stands, the latest group to receive the Gallagher kiss of death. A sensitive Liverpudlian quartet who have clearly spent vast amounts of time listening to their parents' record collections, their quietly affecting debut album borrows liberally from such country-rock stalwarts as The Byrds, Dylan and The Eagles. The plaintive vocals of frontman Howie Payne, meanwhile, sound uncannily like a Scouse version of Neil Young. Originality is in short supply, then - but luckily enough, the songs are just about strong enough to overlook The Stands' blatant copycat methods. Next time, however, Payne needs to find a voice of his own - if he doesn't want to end up as just another Noel Gallagher, that is.

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