1989 - The Best of Power of Dreams, Universal ****

"A genius band who should have been massive." So said Creation Records boss Alan McGee about Irish rockers Power of Dreams, who started in the late 1980s on Setanta, quickly signed a deal with Polydor, released a terrific debut album ( Immigrants, Emigrants and Me), and then, like so many others, imploded from the pressure of hype and high expectations.

While the band is only sporadically active (they commence a "package" tour next week with other one-time Irish hopefuls Sultans of Ping and Frank Walters), it seems a good time to release a "Best of" collection. Power of Dreams were a cracking rock/ pop band with neither novelty value nor self-conscious oddness about them. Songs such as 100 Ways To Kill a Love, The Joke's on Me, Never Been to Texas, and Still Lostgive credence to McGee's claim, while a new song, 1989, prove there is life in the (still relatively) young guns yet.

See powerofdreams.ie

Download tracks: The Joke's on Me, Never Been to Texas