Man, I used to hate Republic Of Loose. I don’t think I’d actually heard them at that point but was put off more by their attitude than anything else. It’s taken them a while (that debut album had it’s moments but was a little too sprawling for its own good) but finally they have a record that justifies their opinion of themselves. Come Back Girl' is – of all things – a tight, tough slice of R&B. ROL have, however, continued to prove themselves genuine devotees of black music rather than just plunderers so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that they nail this one so firmly. They’ve not been away long enough to call it a comeback but it does have genuine crossover appeal and, while in these days of the Crazy sodding Frog the charts may not hold the same degree of importance, it would still be a huge thrill to see this lot somewhere near the top. You know what to do.