Since a rather brilliant debut album, Nottingham's Six.By Seven have only been sporadically great. Clearly some kind of rethink was necessary in order to win back old fans and possibly draw in new ones as well. The result is '04', by some distance, their most commercial offering yet; striving to soar in the anthemic/melancholic big league which Doves started the trend for at the turn of the century. This means dense, powerful production and breast beating choruses to capture the hearts and minds of men in their 30s. In many hands this approach would seem hamfisted but Six.By Seven are older and wiser enough to make it work. The second track 'Sometimes I Feel Like' - featuring huge, pounding drums, buzzsawing guitar riffs and a defiant chorus - sets the agenda for what is to come. Perhaps the hero is Chris Olley who manages to make his vocals heard above the cacophony. 'Say That You Want Me' runs parallel to the rock and roll drone of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and is 'Catch The Rain' Six By Seven's own snarling take on Doves' 'Catch The Sun'? It's a shame that there a few moments where the noise is huge but the hook is missing and no one needs to hear 'Leave Me Alone'; basically ten minutes of pure drone. The best moment is saved for 'Bochum (Light Up My Life)', the first single and - for its immense chorus alone - it was a good choice. Sadly, the record buying public begged to differ but even though much of '04' seems second hand in comparison to previous efforts, it's also probably their second best album.