Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way (Warner)

The Chilis have tended to go their own way and this has mostly paid off. At a time when nu-metal is fashionable, they have come up with an album that is nothing like it. This may look at the darker sides of life, but without screaming, rapping, swearing or creating 'dark' music. The album is light in a melodic sense, without being poppy, with surprises such as Tear, which is almost Beatlesque. There's even a hint of ska (especially On Mercury, which would make a great club track), creating a superior album which will earn more respect than if the Chilis had jumped on the bandwagon. It's great to hear some musical diversity at last.