With a shared history that dates back 25 years, Singer Jane Wade and guitarist Steve Hall have certainly been around a bit. Yet their recorded output - for one reason and another - remains sparse to say the least. 'Arctic Circles' makes one wonder why for it is a fully-formed album of the kind you would expect from shared experiences in punk, blues, jazz and soul. Blessed with the songwriting skills and attention to detail of Steely Dan or Prefab Sprout the album presents a convincing case for modern rock concerns. The strong political message in the lyrics of 'Forty Years Of Peace' and 'Building The Pyramids' never threatens to outweigh the addictive qualities of the melodies. Wade has a wondrous vocal range but she never loses track of the song with unnecessary ad-libbing and even when she is in full flight as on the brilliant 'Madmen Do The Business' it adds genuine raw emotion. At a time when most artists are at the twilight of their careers, The Questionnaires demonstrate that sometimes there is no substitute for experience.