Those who think there's no such thing as peaking too soon should spare a thought for Wheatus. The pop-punk brats hit the commercial jackpot with their very first single, the infectiously self-loathing Teenage Dirtbag - but sadly, their second album shows the uppity New Yorkers firmly stuck in that same adolescent mindset. Essentially a carbon copy of its hugely successful predecessor, Hand Over Your Loved Ones is a lightweight collection of chirpy pop songs that range in subject matter from chatting up girls to getting stoned in Amsterdam. Nothing to tax the brain cells too heavily then - although in fairness it's pleasantly tuneful and frontman Brendan Brown's lyrics are not without a certain good-natured wit. After a while, however, the toilet humour and joky self-deprecation start to become more than a little irritating. Wheatus are a band it's difficult to dislike - but it's even harder to take them seriously.

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