This Is Hardcore, Pulp's follow-up to its 1995 breakthrough Different Class, is more ambitious and difficult than its tuneful predecessor. It's also every bit as good, even if fewer tracks immediately lodge themselves into your brain the way "Common People" did. Of course, given that nearly all of This Is Hardcore's material has something to do with aging and the disappointments that accompany the onset of middle age, this makes sense. The album-opening "The Fear" refers to "a horror soundtrack from a stagnant water-bed," and This Is Hardcore touches on its share of dark topics, but the album's overall tone revolves around self-reflection more than self-indulgence. Pulp's music is more adventurous here than it has been in the past: An obvious glam influence still prevails, but "A Little Soul"—in which frontman/lyricist Jarvis Cocker voices a father's wish for his son to grow up to be a better man than he's become—shows a distinct, appropriate soul influence. And "Seductive Barry," an eccentric tribute to Barry White, features both robotic backing vocals and a guest appearance by Neneh Cherry. While the latter half of This Is Hardcore features its share of catchy songs, including "Sylvia" and "Like A Friend," the album relies as much on an overall mood as on any individual song; it works best when taken as a whole, much like Radiohead's OK Computer. Also like OK Computer, it delivers the sound of an increasingly great band topping a seemingly untoppable predecessor. Cocker may have misgivings about growing older, but if those misgivings continue to inspire albums as strong as This Is Hardcore, Pulp should maintain its reputation as one of the smartest, most consistently compelling British acts around.