The Narcs: Best of the Narcs

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * )

In the skinny-tie years of the early 80s, Christchurch's Narcs played taut, generic power pop which was pretty unexceptional, but they scored huge radio play with the memorable ballad Heart And Soul (produced by Dave McArtney) and the period piece Diamonds on China.

While conceding they got better as their decade rolled on, this collection is time-locked - will that polyester keyboard sound ever come back? - and barely translates to the present.

So although there's some Tears For Fears nostalgia to be had, there wouldn't seem much to get excited about.

This "best of" comes with their 1996 reformation album Push the Boat Out - some of which is also on the collection - which stands up rather better, although accusations of originality need not be thrown.

(EMI)