How these guys are not huge is beyond me. The first two albums UNITED and ALPHABETICAL were brilliant, but covered a range of styles that was perhaps just a little too varied for mainstream tastes.

The new CD, IT’S NEVER BEEN LIKE THAT, is just as good as the others but much more consistent. Don’t be fooled by the fans whinging about ‘all those guitars’ - sure, this album has a little less in the way of slick West Coast MOR production values, but it’s packed with catchy hooks and full of charm.

This is perhaps a quintessential European album, the mixture of styles range from juxtaposed art rock through to straight-ahead indie-pop, but the quality never drops. Opening track ‘Napoleon Says’ is one of the best songs you will hear all year, infectious, and a real grower.

They remind me in part of a Belgium band called Deus and then at times they hint at old school brit pop like Blur and Pulp, but with a lemon twist. Bittersweet vocals are wrapped around wish list production and stealth structure, this record sounds great in the car when you are driving, its chilled vibe washes over you and you feel a warmth of soul that just takes you in. Radio really should embrace this song from 6 Music through to ILR stations, for there are songs here that have massive hooks. ‘Long Distance Call’ and ‘One Time Too Many’ are just two that would be fantastic on any playlist, from Century to Xfm. I really hope this album doesn’t fall by the wayside, sure, it’s not cool enough for NME and it’s too pop for The Word, which leaves it out there in the shadows. And that’s why it’s essential that radio embraces this record. For me it has plenty on here that is ‘straight out of the box’

I found myself playing this on the freeway while driving home, and when I walked into the house I had a smile on my face. I played it again while cooking and I danced my way to a Tikka Masala, this is going to sound bad, but the last record that felt this good was Toploader… Now don’t laugh, because you all get up like a dad at a wedding when they come on the jukebox, after a couple of beers, also they have the feeling that Snow Patrol had before they were embraced by the mainsteam.

Yes, there are a couple of songs that perhaps don’t hit the mark, including one which is an instrumental. ‘North’ is great, but the point is what??? And it should have either been the opening or closing track. But most here are brilliant, and even the weaker songs sound better second and third time around, in fact my least fave songs were my partners fave’s, go figure, but hey that’s women for you.

This after all is an L.P., do we remember them? Not just one great song surrounded by nine fillers, and if there is any justice it’ll be one of the albums of the summer. Utterly, utterly brilliant.

4.5/5