Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Happenstance can be a fortuitous element. A union-funded single discovered in a dusty store, a long disbanded band found, leads to unreleased post punk dubs in a box of unreleased demos.

Formed during the mid-80s in the downbeat town of Walsall, their music is a blend of disparate influences from 50's crooners, blues and reggae to Killing Joke and The Bunnymen; Ron's Neighbours were out of step with the perfect pop of the C86 indie generation.

Their only single - "To The Fight" - a split 7" was supported by the Trade Union Resource Centre, while many gigs were benefits for striking miners, leading to a loyal local following.

Engineered by Ozzy Osbourne's brother Tony, tracks were recorded at an 8 track bedroom / home studio, while a terraced house served as rehearsal space. Here Ron Next Door was born. When a tape recorder was left running it captured the long-suffering neighbour for posterity. His outburst gave the band and song, its name.

Experimenting with drum machines, the resultant jam track, here in its "Alternative Mix", languished unheard until now. Ron's 'Black Country' tones lead to driving bass / percussion against crashing Stratocasters and repeating, refrained vox - a post punk dub turned symphony.

The B side, Sitting On Top of the World, is an indie anthem, becoming their theme, a blend of grandiose and banal that characterised their songs.

Review: It feels like Romy's debut album has been a long time coming, but it's absolutely worth the wait. Stepping to one side of the imposing shadow of her band The xx, the world-famous singer-songwriter has taken her time to deliver something sincere and vulnerable which opens up her world and celebrates the places she's found sanctuary. Having worked extensively with production wonder boy Fred Again, writing for other artists, the two finally funnelled their creative chemistry into songs for Romy which now result in a perfect nugget of pop-club with aeons of space for all the feelings to swirl. It's immediate and catchy, but elegant in equal measure, and certain to lodge Romy in the pantheon of modern pop titans for sensitive souls.