“It’s never, never, never, never, never too late”, goes one of the abundant catchy choruses to be found on the Would Be’s debut. And while any reasonable person might contend that 23 years is pushing it just a little, the ten tracks to be found here more than justify this band’s return to the fray some two decades after the thwarted promise of those early singles and Peel sessions. In a year that has seen far too much colourless dross heralded by an increasingly dull hipster consensus as the real deal, Beautiful Mess doesn’t...er, mess. The songs are sharp and well arranged, the often pithy lyrics and smart tunes unfussily delivered by the cut – glass voice of Julie McDonnell (sounding occasionally like a Cavan – reared Debbie Harry, which is, of course, A Very Good Thing) Matthew Finnegan’s guitars swirl and chime like Johnny Boy at his best, while the rhythm section are no slouches either, serving the songs with a deft and subtle power. The secret weapon is Aidine O’Reilly, whose touches of brass, particularly on trombone, give the whole sound an added uniqueness. Beautiful Mess is one of the albums of the year, and lovers of smart guitar pop should dive right in. Get messy.

The Would Be’s were in session on The Paul McLoone Show – listen back here