Gotta love them Blurs. As usual, the Brit Factor is a resounding 10, and they still sound more like the Beatles than Oasis ever will.

And not unlike a White Album, Blur's self- titled fifth record jumps all over the damn place like a radio station with no format. From the stunning opener, "Beetlebum," and the rock- solid "Song 2" to the anthemic joy of "On Your Own," Blur come across like kids who know what they're doing and mean it. Of course, there are one or two dull moments here ("Theme From Retro" is one), but for the most part. Blur is a record these four cerebral British guys should be proud of. I mean, they've created around and hour's worth of borderline schizophrenic pop tunes that jump out of the speakers with aerobic force. That's nothing to scoff at, right?

-Ryan Schreiber