If there’s one thing anyone who’s seen Birmingham’s Misty’s Big Adventure can agree on, it’s that they’re, well, weird, the ultimate party band. They have a man who dances around in a red suit covered in puffed out, blue rubber gloves. It’s verging on being the naff novelty act, sometimes detracting from the fact their leader, Grandmaster Gareth (you heard), is a charismatic and often stoned pop genius; we’re lead to believe the late, great John Peel played most of the tracks Gareth’s solo album (DiS review here), with Dr Dre Buys A Pint Of Milk making it into last year’s Festive 50.

If you’re to be cruel, at least see it as less of a novelty and more cabaret. Like The Clint Boon Experience crooning about how they like their coffee (white with no sugar), Misty’s aren’t adverse to taking a more light-hearted look at the world of indie pop. In places it’s a bit confusing – do they want to be funny or serious? It can be a disconcerting ride for the average listener, and perhaps the most angsty emo boys may wish to stay clear.

For everybody else, there’s the overlooked yet absolutely sodding brilliant singles Cool With A Capital C and Night Time Better Than Daytime, the minute-long Home Taping’s Killing Music (“now my friends all save money and spend it all on cigarettes”), and the inspired use of samples on the cheesy A Dog Like You.

But when the lyrics aren’t being stupid (to add to this, they’re one of a number of new bands who have their own theme tune), they’re incredible astute, not always with a tongue placed firmly in cheek (“I don’t know why we fight when everything’s going right…/ I’m going to visualise a time when this didn’t used to hurt”). When they’re not playing obvious pop songs, they’re playing something elegant, suave and almost jazz. Sinatra would’ve loved them.

One of the albums of the year, f’sure.