As much as it's hard for a man brought up on Nirvana, Pixies and a whole host of other alternative guitar bands to admit, Girls Aloud are a damn fine pop act. Probably the best around today in fact, which made What Will The Neighbours Say one of the most pleasant surprises of last year.

Wake Me Up is thankfully an about-turn from the charitable slush-fest that was the misjudged cover version of I'll Stand By You and sees them back to their magnificently feisty best. Reunited with master songwriting team Xenomania, this throws in weird electro noises, garage rock guitar riffs and still manages to maintain the pop sensibility that the girls do so well.

It sounds like the soundtrack to the greatest night out ever to which only the lucky few are privileged to have an invite, and is more proof that, however much chin stroking muso's would attempt to convince you otherwise, Girls Aloud are actually very good indeed.

- John Murphy