Camera Obscura  - Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken (Elefant)
From the cheesy Hammond organ intro to the squeaky girl vocal this single exudes class. Part Belle & Sebastian part Cardigans. Its taken nearly 20 years for this answer song to Lloyd Cole’s Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken but it was worth the wait. Indie pop heaven.  

Burning Pilot  - Stay Cool (Transgressive)
The Trasngressive magic touch eluded them with Burning Pilot. Cod-ska with sub-Gary Numan vocals really is piss poor!! Either one of the band has kidnapped a member of  Transgressive Records family or Burning Pilot are lotto millionaires buying ever copy of their releases (except the one I stupidly bought, obviously!). Avoid.

The Rumble Strips  - Hate Me You Do (Transgressive)
This lot really are taking the Mick now! Last single sounded Dexy’s influenced whereas this sounds so like them I dare anyone to tell them apart! They say imitation if the highest form of flattery so Kevin Roland must be so flattered he has his own tribute act he will never need to tour again. Too rye aye!

Guillemots  - Made Up Love Song 43 (Polydor)
Its always a bit sad when bands re-record their debut record for a major and that’s especially the case with the latest Guillemots offering. A good song is a good song and expensive production doesn’t add anything new yet maybe takes away some of the nieve magic of the original.

The Loft - Model Village (Static Caravan)
Can’t believe this is from one of my all time favourite bands The Loft! They sound just the same as they did back in the early 80s when they cut the classic Creation Records single Up The Hill and Down The Slope. Not sure if this is a new recording or undiscovered original but good all the same. The band went on to be The Weather Prophets before Pete Astor went solo. With Primal Scream in the charts maybe its time for The Pastels revival?!

Liam Frost & Slowdown Family - The Mourners of St Pauls (Lavota)
Scouse Liam in slow building ballad incorporating the structure of Wonderful World. Pleasant enough but no cigar I’m afraid.

Best Fwends - Second Seven Inch (Moshi Moshi)
Possibly the maddest 7” I’ve ever bought. Five tracks all under one minute long. They sound like the Ramones trapped in a rave. Limited to 500 7” singles. Could be a hit at your next children’s party. Entertaining.

Young Knives - Shes Attracted To (Transgressive)
Young Knives make amusing pop videos and clever records. She’s Attracted To’s chorus of “You were screaming at your mum and I was punching your dad” really should win some kind of special award for absurd lyrics. 

The Fratellis  - Henryetta (Fallout)
This Scots trio sound like a mish-mash of lots of band but mainly sound like a mix of T-Rex and Slade while the lead singer looks like Uncle Peter off of Vic Reeves Show the rest of the band look like they belong in a mid-70s sitcom. Seems too forced to be taken seriously, but will the kids be fooled? Probably!

Little Man Tate - What? What You Got? (V2)
Bandwagon jumping Sheffield Arctic Monkey wannabes second single is an identi-kit picture of all the latest indie guitar groups. Milburn do it much better. Anyone remember Menswear in the 90s Britpop explosion? That’s Little Man Tate that it!