A highpoint of last year, or indeed any year, Field Music's self titled debut was a breath of fresh air. Combining hook-heavy pop/rock numbers with clever harmonies, they paid their dues to both mid-70s soft rock as well as late-70s new wave. 'Write Your Own History' collects early singles and unreleased tracks from their early days when they recorded under Electronic Eye Machine and New Tellers and although there are a few fluffed attempts along the way there's proof here that their magical way with a tune was always at the forefront of their songwriting.

A little confusingly, the track listing runs in reverse chronological order although on the evidence of their earliest song here (2000's 'Can You See Anything') they found their true form early on with their trademark vulnerable vocals and beautiful arrangements. The more experimental likes of 'Test Your Reaction' and 'Alternating Current' fare less well possibly because they are experimental; one of Field Music's unique selling points is their apparent simplicity. Better are 'In The Kitchen' and 'Breakfast Song' which deal with ordinary subject matter and marry it to a classically British sense of tune-making. For all lovers of heartfelt pop music, this is a brief but tremendously worthwhile journey back through time.