Latest CD releases reviewed'

RICHARD HAWLEY
Coles Corner Mute ****

Hawley does it his way on this late-nite song for swingin' celibates hoping to meet a stranger in the night. Petula Clark's Downtown might sound like a little like this if it was done by a lonely, middle-aged bloke with a Frank fixation.

BON JOVI
Who Says You Can't Go Home? Mercury **

Bonjo's been around the world, but he's really a homebird at heart; if this tune is to be believed, he likes nothing better than to get home to Noo Joisey and hang out with his beer-drinking buddies down at the local Hooters. Hey, Jon, it's your round . . . again.

PETER BJORN & JOHN
Young People Wichita *****

Not to be confused with Peter, Paul and Mary, this poptastic Swedish trio have come up with a bongo go-go tune that's catchier than Puff the Magic Dragon and features the sultry, Scandi tones of Victoria Bergsman from The Concretes on guest vocals. Young people will be whistling this one all summer long.

DEVENDRA BANHART
White Reggae Troll XL ***

Benign indie guru or evil folk cult figure? We haven't figured Dev out yet, but on this track he's a rather unnerving mix of Howlin' Wolf, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is the "hidden" track off Cripple Crow, and it does rather go on. That's what happens when hippies are locked all night in the studio.

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth Wichita ***

Forget rehab - it'll be the tooth-whitening clinic for these arty Brooklyn boys with the whiny-voiced singer. Yellow Country Teeth won't knock the pearly white smiles off the big pop stars, but it will bite at their ankles a bit.

GOMEZ
Girlshapedlovedrug Independiente ***

Jaysus, are these guys still going? I thought they'd got lost in a swamp somewhere near Southport. They're back with a new album, How We Operate, and here's a poppy sort of thing that says all the right rock'n'roll words, though it doesn't quite spell "hit".