Retreating from the experimental tendencies of Laid and Wah-Wah, James return to straight-forward anthemic folk-rock with Whiplash. Although the album isn't a retread of Seven or Gold Mother, it is considerably more rock-oriented than its two predecessors, particularly because the group has incorporated some elements of Brit-pop into their music. "She's a Star," the record's first single, soars on a slide guitar and heavy riff that falls somewhere between Suede and Oasis, as well as a distinctive falsetto from Tim Booth. It is a small song that aims big, which makes it surprisingly graceful, and it's a trick that James only pulls off a couple more times on the album. While Whiplash does find them on more familiar territory, it doesn't have the layered sonics and consistently excellent songwriting that made Laid a breakthrough. In fact, is Whiplash is anything, it's a bit of a step backward -- it's an album that will appeal to their cult, not a large audience.