It’s always a little nerve-wracking to be given an album of songs from a band you’ve never heard of and then be asked to say things about them. The balance of giving praise without sounding as if you’re on the band’s payroll, of forcing yourself through listening to an album by a band with all the musical talent of a string of bacteria when every music-loving bone in your body cries out to you to stop tormenting yourself with such rubbish. It takes more than just listening to an album and saying whether it’s good or bad. That’s what makes reviewing so much fun.

You know what’s even more fun? Getting an album of songs from a band you’ve never heard of and absolutely falling hopelessly in love with said album. Which, in this case, is exactly what’s happened.

It seems strange, then, that it’s so difficult to write exactly what it is about the album that’s so wonderful. How do you put the word ‘everything’ into four hundred and odd words? Let’s see how we get on, shall we…

From the opening track, the fantastic ‘Underground’ to the closing track, the beautiful ‘September’, Das Pop truly live up to their name (roughly translated from the Belgian… oh, I won’t even insult your intelligence by translating it for you!) with some of the most incredible, real pop songs of the decade. With this album we are treated to an inspirational dose of pure escapism. Music doesn’t always have to be for something, it doesn’t have to say anything, it doesn’t need to protest against the war. Sometimes music can and should legitimately be about a Saturday night out, about falling in love and about falling out of love. This is pop for pop’s sake - and it’s simply fantastic.

The strongest track, aside from the opening track, is probably ‘Try Again’. A fantastic bass line accompanies an empowering story of embittered heartbreak (“I don’t wanna make amends, just go to hell!” - wise words indeed!) told in a catchy, three-minute, foot-tapping,
shoulder-shimmying song.

That’s another brilliant thing about this album. For the first time, probably since the 1970s, Das Pop are a proper guitars and drums band who write and perform songs you can actually dance to, rather than just nod your head or pogo your way through.

Das Pop have obviously worked dashed hard to make an album full of tracks that you won’t just like, you’ll absolutely love them. Whether it’s a slower song, like ‘Girl Be A Man’, or an all-out blast of pure rock’n'roll like ‘Fool for Love’, or even an anthemic gem like ‘Wings’, there’s something on this album for everyone.

If this album doesn’t deserve full marks, I would love to hear the album that does.