Only a small, select group of bands have tried to marry pure soul with straight-out rock'n'roll - it's just too hard to pull off without sounding ridiculously hamfisted. British combo Mo Solid Gold, however, clearly don't believe in playing by the rules and their debut album is a heady mix of driving guitars, euphoric gospel chorus and powerfully rich vocals. Amzingly enough, the band was born out of the ashes of These Animal Man, also-rans of the short-lived New Wave of New Wave scene. This time around, they've got it gloriously right. An exhilarating album that deserves far more attention than it'll probably get.
