You know those stickers on CDs, the ones that say "Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics," or something like that. Well, Leningrad does not have one.

But everyone knows why Sergei Shnurov's band is popular, even without a CD sticker. And you just can't start a review of a Leningrad album with "A new direction has been chosen for this group's new album." That's unfortunate, but there's just no way. There's no new secret to be uncovered or striking difference that will reveal itself in Leningrad's new album. The band has a trademark - and it's very unlikely it'll be changing.

So the tales of the "typical" man's life of vodka, marijuana, free sex and sex for money continue. And the dictionary and thesaurus of Russian cuss words get added to. But as the years go by, it's no longer as shocking or quite as funny.

In 2002, the "XXIst Century Pirates" have gotten their rhythms down a little better and at times choose a slightly more complicated melody than before.

For example, there are a few passable takes on rock mixed in with the usual chanson, and a pretty good reggae piece: No. 2 (with an unprintable name) where Shnurov sings like Bob Marley in "No Woman, No Cry."