Demon Records reissues Mull Historical Society's first three albums. Archaeology Complete Recordings 2000 - 2004 is an expansive 80-track anthology which includes the albums Loss (2001), Us (2003) and This is Hope (2004)...

Each of the three albums here see a dramatic shift in style and presentation. Loss was reportedly inspired by Colin MacIntyre's upbringing on Mull and the death of his father in 1999. It incorporates samples from a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry and the waves in Calgary Bay.

It's interesting to note how fresh and original the band's output is. While there's a distinct late '90s vibe, it feels as though it could have been recorded last week. None of the music's impact has been lost and I honestly couldn't get enough.

MacIntyre's vocals on 'Watching Xanadu' and 'This Is Not Who We Were' reminded me of Danny Wilson frontman Gary Clark. Coincidentally, both artists are Scottish. In addition, 'You And Me Ground Zero' is obviously a lovingly crafted homage to Elton John's 'Rocket Man' (it even incorporates the lyrics "it's gonna take a long, long time" to the same chord structure as 'Rocket Man''s "it's gonna be a long, long time".

The collection includes 56 tracks (3 hrs, 50 min, 16 sec) and for fans there is plenty of additional material that wasn't included on the original album releases. Rush out now and buy this.

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Nick Smithson