Is the chillout fad past its sell-by date? Well, on the evidence of Zero 7's second album, it's certainly in need of a good kick up the backside. It's not that this long-awaited follow-up to the incredibly successful Simple Things is bad, exactly - just teeth-grindingly dull. Studio boffins Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker trot out the same mixture of synths, strings and electric piano as before, but most of the songs just seem to wander around aimlessly before collapsing in the corner - a bit like the unfortunate homecoming clubbers at whom this album is presumably aimed. The only respite comes with the arrival of some female vocalists (most notably the sensuous Sia Furler), but even they are defeated by the dreadful lyrics, which are presumably supposed to be enigmatic but are in fact merely meaningless. As a cure for insomnia, When It Falls might just be of some value. Otherwise, it's a complete waste of time.
