I don't mean only their shapes. I mean their tank tops, the singularly most interesting thing about All Saints. I first read about them last July in The Face, described, as would become the pattern, as "post-Spice," and photographed heading each other's shoulders in the back of a cab. Barely attractive, really. Wearing Adidas T-shirts. And parkas.

But then that video of theirs--"I Know Where It's At"--arrived. The most effective of all the "I'm just walking aggressively doing my own thing" videos (Hello, "Bitter Sweet Symphony") to come out in '97. They did know where it was at. And I did too. It was all in those straps. The way the quartet did that double cotton camisole, bra-strap-showing thing. So street-credible, like all those summery cool chicks who wear tennis socks year round and have friends in neat places who send them mixed DJ tapes. All Saints were sexy in a way anyone with the address of Urban Outfitters and Foot Locker could be: baggy combat jeans slung low, lone thin gold strands around their necks. Aniston-y streaky do's. Casual drawstrings on anything that would take one. That British way of wearing sneakers as if the shoes meant something more. Their look was so accessible it was a pleasure to watch. "We are just Normal People," they told anyone who put a tape recorder to their lip-balmy lips. "We don't change on stage or for videos."

***

This is the All Saints schtick. And it's given them and their poppy urban sounds a #1("Never Ever") and a top tenner ("I Know Where it's At") in Europe already. Real people just makin' a livin'. Just like us ("only prettier, funnier, more talented, richer, nicer and more confident," blubbered one Melody Maker writer).

NOT like the Spices. No fishy pantomimey personas. Oh no, just one slutty one (Nic Appleton, 22, Canadian-born, London-raised), one outspoken little spitfire (Melanie Blatt, 21, half-French, half-British), one emotional thinker (Shaznay, 21, Barbadian/Jamaican) and one loner with a hard past (Nat Appleton, 24, Nic's sister). One black girl, one Jewish girl and two blondies with faces like pretty suburbanites who work at the Quik-E-mart.

Their native England has gone completely bazongers over them. They have already tabloided the Appletons: Nat has a child and an estranged husband (who used to be a male stripper), Nic's ex-fiancé told News of the World everything she does in bed. People went gaga when it was discovered that Mel had dated soppy Euro-cheese crooner Peter André, and that Huey of the Fun Lovin' Criminals was head over heels for Nat.

But loves aside, the harmonious vocals of Mel and Shaznay have been exalted by even the indie-inclined. And all four are thought real personality jocks because they swear in television interviews. And sound all street-slangy. And talk about their sex lives. "We burp and fart," Shaznay told the Mirror. Is all this attention any wonder then?

"Well, yes. It was amazing that magazines like Melody Maker picked up on us," says Shaznay. "I mean, their thing is usually more indie rock bands and all that. But I think they understood the depth of our lyrics. We get compared to the Verve a lot, like, we have a similar lyrical depth or something. We are SINGER-SONGWRITERS. We're not just a bunch of girlies going on stage singing other people's songs."

The All Saints single to proceed the chart-busting R&B lament "Never Ever" is a hip hoppy cover of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Under the Bridge." This is probably to be followed by the Saints' take on "Lady Marmalade." But Shaznay's Verve point is an interesting one, because it's true. They do get compared. So what the hell do a swingbeat pop act comprised of four feisty femmes and a slouchy, emotive guy band with a propensity for sad symphonics have in common? Besides that they're both English?

"Talent," says Shaznay. But really it's more like "timing." Let me take you back to this year's Brit Awards: the lightly nominated Oasis were away on tour, beating up fans. They were truly, obviously not missed. The Spice Girls, who performed, seemed fearfully aware of the fact that they were practically obsolescing on stage. Geri looked 10 years older than she did at the Brits '97.

But, lo and behold! Here were new bookends. One rock. One pop. Both with extremely stupid and low-talent predecessors. The Verve are veritable Mozarts near the Gallaghers; the Saints close to Billie Holidays after the Spices. Britpop's new selling point became really clear that night. With the supporting acts of egghead favourite Radiohead and ideological funky kid Finley Quaye, All Saints and the Verve got pinned down as making pop for MORE than pop's sake. They were, some said, giving it "content" again.

***

All Saints were born when the truly fonky Shaznay and the silky-skinned Mel met at the studio they both worked at on All Saints Road in London five years ago. They were both 17. Shaznay was working as a background singer for go-nowhere British rappers and Mel was a tea girl who was waiting to be discovered. "We started putting together our own demos. I did background vocals on hers, and she did some on mine," says Shaznay. "Our first performance as a duo was on the Touch magazine stage at the Notting Hill Carnival of '92." They then briefly got signed to Frankie Goes to Hollywood's label ZTT. "We were 18," says Shaznay. They were dropped within a year.

Everything really started happening when sisters Nic and Nat returned to England after hanging in the U.S. ("they were singing in bars") for a while. "Mel had known them from theatre school when they were younger. We did demos. In the beginning nobody was taking notice, but we got a record deal soon after a certain band made everyone interested in girls again..."

London Records signed the Saints on the basis of hearing "Never Ever" and then snagged Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey to polish up their 1997 debut album. Then the inevitable "new Spice Girls" tag came about. Then the "we are nothing like the Spices, look we wear baggy trousers" stance ensued, and the Saints' self-titled LP sold half a million before 1997 was up.

"A song like 'Never Ever' is about something that everybody has gone through," says Shaznay of their first #1 hit. "There are so many love songs out there that talk about breakups. People going on about, 'Oh, I left my girl,' or something like that. But I think 'Never Ever' moves a lot of people because it covers the whole subject. A lot of people listen to it and go, 'Damn, that's exactly what I was feeling myself.'"

British reviewers of "Never Ever" have fallen over themselves writing how serious and mature a song it is. Which--no disrespect--is completely insane. Because it's a plain old luvvy R&B slice. A pretty tune, well sung, but one a prepubescent TLC could have made in their sleep. To use the Verve comparison in a new way, let me say it ain't no "Lucky Man." This is how it starts:

"A few questions that I need to know/How you could ever hurt me so/I need to know what I've done wrong/And how long this has been going on."

Is that so much deeper than this ditty sung, incidentally, by the Spice Girls?

"Love is blind/As far as the eye can see.../Road to nowhere/Twists and turns/Will this never end?"

Eh, no. And even if All Saints are more talented than the Spices, the debate is somewhat akin to arguing over the vocal and lyrical merits of the Backstreet Boys versus Hanson. There is a sort of difference, but who cares? The song is just not the thing here. No matter how much these four girls say it is. I mean, every chart pop beauty says, "I live for my music." You're just not supposed to believe them. You are supposed to watch them rise like shining stars and reach a glittering pinnacle, and then go the way of Bros and Samantha Fox. That is the true spectacle here. And it ain't heavy. But it is a blast to watch.