In early 1999, when Performance And Cocktails was released to an adoring U.K. press, the Stereophonics were on the verge of becoming the next post-Oasis pop phenomenon. On the surface, the Welsh power trio is unspectacular -- you'd have a tough time fingering the band in a Brit-pop lineup -- yet its unassuming stance doesn't diminish the graceful charm and aching soul of its songs. Churning through his tunes with workman-like efficiency, lead vocalist/ guitarist Kelly Jones sings in a lacerated voice that strikes a raw, emotional nerve on such heartfelt, hummable ballads as "A Minute Longer" and "She Takes Her Clothes Off." The latter, oddly enough, is a somber lament for an aging pin-up girl. Jones's dramatic lyrics often sound like they could be the script to a soap opera, or simply the result of too many late-night drinking binges. The heart-on-sleeve sentiments of "Half The Lies You Tell Ain't True" and the wistful "Just Looking" are dressed -- like most songs on this album -- in consistently memorable pop-rock fabrics, spun from the finest silks, by hook-sharp needles.

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