Apparently when Jim Reid was in The Jesus And Mary Chain, if he sneezed, then there was someone ready to wipe his nose. The adoration for The Mary Chain has now almost died out, (especially after their ill-advised 1998 Creation comeback), so Reid has to start again. He's decided to do that with Freeheat.

It all so sounds so worth it on breezy, starry-eyed opener "The Two Of Us" a charming duet between Reid and his delightfully feminine bassist Romi Mori. Although not entirely removed from the sound of his former band, there's a freshness and sparkle about this track that Reid hasn't produced for years.

But after that, he tends to lose his way, and the EP suddenly strikes you as an empty, soulless record. Acoustic strummer "Shine On Little Star" is pleasant enough, but with tracks like the nihilistic "Facing Up To The Facts" Reid simply re-hashes old Mary Chain riffs to under-whelming effect. "Nobody's Gonna Trip My Wire" suffers from this also, but Reid's angry, snarling vocal ensures the track's worth.

Freeheat may still be in their infancy, but an old pro like Jim Reid should really know better.