They’re still one of the most heart-stoppingly romantic bands on the planet, in love with the ramshackle glory of failure. Equal parts joyous northern soul, punk rock defiance and the shonky splendour of the Television Personalities, David Feck writes anthems for underdogs – albeit anthems that draw blood, like the brilliantly-pointed ‘Clang Of The Concrete Swans’. Sure, this is a rallying cry for the underground rather than an assault on the mainstream, but vapid populism was never the point. And with songs as beautiful as ‘A Memorial For Nobody I Know’, you really wouldn’t want their rough edges to be smoothed.

Will Fitzpatrick

DOWNLOAD: ‘Clang Of The Concrete Swans’