by John Bush
After disappearing from American radar screens for several years -- even as Armand Van Helden's trend-setting remix of &Spin Spin Sugar& remained very durable in clubs -- Sneaker Pimps became a radically different group with their third album. Less experimental, less distinctive, and definitely missing the production finesse of Nellee Hooper, Bloodsport suffers musically from a lack of imagination and vocally from Chris Corner's surprisingly post-grunge style of delivery. From the sub-Depeche Mode industrial pop of the opener &Kiro TV& to the bland &Nightclubbing& sound-alike &Small Town Witch,& Sneaker Pimps hardly sound like the same band that made indie pop sound hip again back in 1996.