Liverpool has recently produced a crop of great new guitar bands, of which six-piece The Bandits are tucking themselves neatly beside The Coral, The Zutons and The Hokum Clones as Scouse purveyors of Beefheart-blessed guitar shanties. The ‘Cosmic Scouse Rock’ label may be pushing it a bit, but the noises coming from the Mersey are most definitely melodic, very jangly, and set to drive you round the bend this summer. It is no surprise, then, that with their new single ‘Take it and Run’, The Bandits** have put themselves at the front of the queue for swimming and ice cream in 2003.

A simple, harmonica-laden trundle through bouncy guitar heaven, the band’s third single release is by far their best effort yet. ‘Take it and Run’ is propelled along by a looping guitar lick as catchy, and possibly as irritating as anything their bandwagon comrades The Coral* have put out over the last year. Nevertheless, The Bandits* have produced a near-perfect piece of sunshine guitar pop that will push open the door to the coming summer months as fast as a Beach Boy on a banana boat.