"This is the sound of the underground - not just girls aloud, but girls asleep, boys alone and bands unafraid of getting something down on tape. It’s a cross section of bands from the independent underground, from the good to the frankly bottom-of-the-bill-at-the-Bull-and-Gate. If you’ve been out in London, you’ll doubtless know a couple of them at least (you won’t have read about them because they’re not revenue-generating enough for the NME). The loose theme is Valentine’s Day; after that, it’s all pretty random, covering everything from garage rock to electro-pop to C86 indie-bedroom tunes to singer-songwriters. Billy Childish has inspired Thee Fine Lines while The Cut-Outs take their cue from Nuggets but their garage rock has a twist: “you better stop hanging around her front door/ the magistrate says you can’t do that no more”. It’s not all guitar rock: Motormark are The Human League fronted by Karen O, Komatrohn take on Depeche Mode and Actionbiker owe a huge debt to Stereolab. The Raindrops are sweetly power-pop in a Lemonheads way while Riviera F have a heart quickening, edgy punk sound. The A-Lines get all handclapply on 'Can’t Explain' with its ace chunky bass line that Ken Forssi would have approved of. Bearsuit are as quirkily melodic as ever, the brilliant 'On Your Special Day’ sounding like an overfilled suitcase full of ace tunes, Kristen Mueller’s 'When You’re Around’ has a lovely late night echoey and atmospheric feel. Over 22 tracks, it’s all down to personal taste but, however you shuffle the deck, you’re bound to come out with a hand you like."

-Ged M, soundsxp