Falling off stages and learning to live with obscurity have been the wise watchwords of Pat Fish and the elegantly named Jazz Butcher Conspiracy since they began their indie noodlings in the early-'80s. Fuelled by a fondness for Carlsberg Special Brew and an attachment to the chord progressions of post-punk stalwarts like Orange Juice, they have quietly filled racks of second-hand record stores with collections of songs of wit, warmth and melodic muscularity. This compression of four albums begins with the cult classic Southern Mark Smith , indulges in B-movie frippery ( Zombie Love , Jazz Butcher -v- Count Dracula ) and machismo baiting ( Real Men ) before spreading out the genuine pop nuggets like Girlfriend , Big Saturday and Partytime . Too talented to be dismissed as a whimsical pop eccentricity, the JBC deserve a wider audience than the rancid moshpits that usually welcome them.

Three stars
Paul Davies