 IF HOWIE PAYNE was given a quid for every time someone had told him he was going to be a huge star, he'd be a very rich man by now. The lead singer of Liverpool indie hopefuls The Stands, Howie's been tipped as the man most likely to be the next Bob Dylan or Neil Young by a large portion of the popular music press. In fact, despite the huge success of his contemporaries in the Coral and his brother Sean's band the Zutons, Howie's still the hippest name to drop for the rock cognoscenti. Oasis leader Noel Gallagher is a vocal supporter and has had the band on tour with him a few times, culminating in a mega gig at the City of Manchester Stadium two weeks ago. And Q Magazine has run a fulsome full page recommendation which stops a smidge away from being a fully blown love letter. The band also drew glowing accolades for their debut album All Years Leaving which was released by the Echo imprint last year. Bewilderingly it didn't make much of an impact on the charts, despite well received performances at Glastonbury and a host of festivals across Europe. Despite this support, reality was dawning for Howie and the band, (guitarist Luke Thompson, bass player Dean Ravea and new drummer Graeme Robinson) that they have to build on good press and make the break through to the charts. Luckily they have chosen to release their second album, Horse Fabulous, which is an absolute belter. Before a launch party gig at the Zanzibar next Wednesday, Howie says it is the perfect record they have been looking for to help them make that break through. "I was listening to it the other day to learn a harmony part from a song and it sounded great,'" says Howie, "I know that sounds a bit bad, like 'Doesn't my hair look great,' but when the first record came out I was always hearing things I wanted to change, but this one is different, I am much more happy with it." Taking its inspiration from a wide spectrum of music from classic Memphis-era Al Green and the Nuggets and Pebbles garage rock compilations of late 1960s America, it is an impressive statement of intent by the four piece. It was recorded at the famous Sunset Sound studios in LA in late-2004 and is a sunny slice of '60s style perfect pop - perfect for breaking the US and Britain. | 
