It might be a new year but some things never change.

One of those is the good old NME's crystal ball, which having predicted global domination for their "new rock revolution" now has to wipe that rotten egg off it's pasty face as one of their supposed saviours of rock and roll has to release yet another single off it's debut album to keep the bailiffs away and hopefully prolong it's demise into £1.99-in-the-Woolies-bargain-bin territory.

It's at times like these when I wish Simon Cowell was on the IPC payroll. Imagine his reaction on hearing The Libertines - he'd dismiss them with a cry of "distinctly average" and pull up those 42" waist chinos around his neck to good effect.

Not that 'Time For Heroes' doesn't possess a tune. It does, even if it should be renamed "The Fine Art Of Plagiarism in 3 Minutes Flat", being as it steals it's best bits all too blatantly from the first two Jam albums, 'Stay Free' by The Clash and at least four different Buzzcocks' riffs.

Hopefully the press will get bored with this lot in the same way they have with other less successful "new messiahs" (anyone remember Campag Velocet and Fischerspooner? - thought not) and allow them to go away and concentrate on being a real band.

Marginally better than The Strokes then, but still not in the same league as These Animal Men or Liberty X.