During the recording of Supergrass' new album last year, bassist Mick Quinn fell out of a window in a bizarre accident that damn near killed him. While Quinn was recovering from his injuries, the other members of Supergrass did secret live shows around the U.K. as The Diamond Hoo Ha Men showcasing the new material they were working on yet hadn't quite finished in the studio. When Quinn finally healed, the new album was completed and as a joke the album was titled Diamond Hoo Ha.

I wish I could tell you that Quinn's near death experience helped to craft the best Supergrass album yet, but alas, that's not the case. Diamond Hoo Ha almost seems like the band has regressed a bit into their old ways and have almost completely abandoned the new darker direction they were heading toward with their previous and best album thus far, Road To Rouen. That's not to say that Diamond Hoo Ha is a bad album though. It's just that Supergrass have mined this style countless times before and previous records have been better than this.

Diamond Hoo Ha still has some great moments however. The self-titled track seemingly feels like a loving tribute to The White Stripes and "Rebel In You" is one of the more fun romps that Gaz Coombes and the boys have come up with in nearly half a decade. "345" with its tasty guitar solos and killer bass romp is another of the highlights here. But Diamond Hoo Ha does have a few stinkers like "Return of Inspiration" and "Whiskey & Green Tea" that just feel forced and clunky. While Diamond Hoo Ha is certainly better than their self-titled or Life on Other Planets records, it's nowhere near the cream of the crop as Rouen or In It for the Money. If you consider yourself a fan of these Brit-Rockers though there is certainly enough here to be satisfied with until the next go round.