The B-Sides

Essentially, this is a cheaper, condensed version of last year’s ‘Singles Collection’, a deluxe wooden box set that housed nine 7” singles and which contained all the singles from those two albums, in addition to the songs found here.

Some of the live tracks on here are a little scratchy sounding but re-worked versions of ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘The Queen Of Lower Chelsea’ quieten any simmering cynicism about the point of this record.

Here Brian Fallon’s voice is as beaten and battered as the perfect leather jacket, and all the more beguiling for it.

With The B-Sides, fans are treated to another side of the band with a collection of live tracks, acoustic versions, covers, and unused studio cuts. While you could always describe the band's sound as raw, there's a sense of practiced composure on their albums that's refreshingly absent from the acoustic home recordings of "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" and "Boxer."

Essentially a pared down version of last year's singles box set--minus the singles, of course, and with a couple of additional tracks--it brings together acoustic takes on old favourites, a handful of covers and a muddy live cut.

While the songs are engaging and rewarding, they’re not definitive and it’s difficult not to be disappointed that more obscurities and lost dogs didn’t find a home on this compilation.