Amid the increasing amounts of dross thrown up by record companies eager not to let The New Strokes slip them by it's surprising how many genuinely good records are being made. From all over he world there are new, sometimes excellent albums constantly coming to light and it is amid this deluge that The Bandits must make their mark.

Emerging just as neighbours The Coral have released their second album to near universal praise The Bandits have the obvious similarities that growing up and developing musically in the same neighbourhood would give them but with a more conventional, rock orientated sound. Opening track "Two Step Rock" is a love song to the genre and it's a classic. Immediately following it is "The Warning" which adds apocalyptic imagery and a soaring chorus and actually manages to take it up a notch. "Standing Under", deceptively jaunty country folk which, coupled with some vaguely sinister establishment-baiting lyrics, is a welcome change of pace.

The rest of the album operates comfortably but unimpressively within the parameters set by the first three tracks with notable highlights being the catchy "Once Upon A Time" and closing track "On My Way". The lyrical bite and the impressive, timeless voice of singer John Robinson, along with about half an album's worth of above decent tunes puts The Bandits well up in the chasing pack but they need to develop their sound in some new directions if they ever want to stand apart. -Ian Martin, Oct.29.03

And They Walked Away