Not only does the Chicago foursome bringthe raw power needed to make a good racket but they shelter the sound with thekind of sly wordplay and soulful pop breaks the Davies brothers madefamous.

TheM's capture that glorious moment when the British Invasion bands of the '60swere still grappling with their love of R and B while flirting with the moresophisticated harmonies and hooks of classic pop songwriting.

TheM's spirit and ambition make a convincing case for rolling back thecalendar.

FutureWomen needs to be heard by people desperate for an album that takes them ona journey, sonically and emotionally, without being overly precious orself-important about it. The M'shave delivered what I dare say is one of the first rock masterpieces of the newyear.

The four M's call Chicago home, but with their fuzzy riffs and psychedelicmelodies, they could be mistaken for a bunch of British tunesmiths by the namesof Ray Davies, Damon Albarn, Marc Bolan,and John Lennon.

The M's aren't a UK rock band, but they do a ripping imitation of one on the title track of their debut album, Future Women, which sounds like an early-'70s Paul McCartney tune upgraded for the post-Strokes era.