OFFSPRING - CONSPIRACY OF ONE CD 13 TRACKS (61286) Amazon.co.uk Offspring fans won't be disappointed by Conspiracy Of One. The sixth album from the old-school punks with "low self-esteem" is chock full of breakneck pop melodies and witty asides, possibly even more than before. Indeed, Conspiracy of One sounds even more punky than either Americana or Ixnay On The Hombre: perhaps mindful of their fans, everything has become stripped-back and frantic. Trouble is, by sacrificing the subtlety, the Offspring are starting to sound a little formulaic. "Original Prankster" is "Pretty Fly" given a few fresh licks of metal paint: the vocoder effect on Dexter Holland's voice makes him sound uncannily like the Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl: the near-irresistible "Damn It, Changed Again" and full-on emo-fest of "Denial Revisited" both sound like prime Green Day. Still, any record that boasts the turbulent "Million Miles Away" and "Come Out Swinging" can't be too bad. A solid, if unexciting, return. -- Jerry Thackray