Sound: Released two years before When I Was Born for the 7th Time, but destined to remain forever in it's shadow, Cornershop's 1995 release, Woman's Gotta Have It, is their best release. Radiant, optimistic and relentlessly eclectic, Woman's Gotta Have It trades in Indian-tinged pop song instead of the electronic instrumentals that padded 7th Time. There are dalliances with garage rock, Bollywood, hip-hop, Velvet Underground-style drones and a perfect pop-rock singalong that mischievously uses a racial slur as it's hook. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: When he deigns to sing in English (three of the songs are in Punjabi), Tjinder Singh is no Bob Dylan, but his lyrics manage to toe the line between ridiculousness and insouciance quite nicely. "Wog" is an affecting account of his struggle to fit into two different cultures. // 8
Impression: While 7th Time is also worth purchasing, this is both the best Cornershop album and one of the most underrated britpop albums ever. If it were stolen or lost, I would not hesitate to replace it. If 7th Time left you thinking that this band was a bit one-dimensional, this radiant record will be more to your liking. // 8
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