No one can accuse Damon Gough of biding time between albums now. A mere few months after the soundtrack effort comes the next 'proper' album. 'About A Boy' had its fair share of fine moments but just as many bland instrumentals. So how does 'Have You Fed The Fish?' improve things? Well, this time there's a higher song ratio but the quality quotient hasn't really been raised that much. This album is as eclectic as his prize-winning debut but not all experiments come off; the ska of 'The Further I Slide' or the Steve Harley-esque rock of '40 Days, 40 Fights' for example. When he does get it right, Gough is as inventive and melodic a songwriter as anyone and the 70s style disco pastiche 'All Possibilities' is one such example, there's also 'How' where a downbeat verse is swamped by a triumphant, stomping chorus and recent single 'You Were Right' features a strong hook. The modern music-hall take on 'Tickets To What You Need' is also quite palatable. But the frustrating inconsistency and the jokey lyrics give an impression of laziness and lack of focus. It could be true to say Badly Drawn Boy peaked too early on this evidence.