Hollywood heart-throb Russell Crowe is not exactly a man to hide his light under a bushel, so you have to wonder why he tends to keep quiet about Thirty Odd Foot Of Grunts, the band for which he both writes the songs and performs vocal duties. Unfortunately, one listen to their first properly released album dispels the mystery. Bastard Life Or Clarity is a relentlessly average affair, a confusing pile-up of recycled Springsteen riffs and derivative pub-rock that's banged out with plenty of enthusiasm but no discernible sense of style. Crowe can certainly sing, in a gruff sort of way, but overall, the kindest thing to say is that as a musician he makes a great actor.
