Simon Bristoll is from Leeds – confusing, so that’s why he has adopted the musical monica of Captain Wilberforce. Anyway, Everyone Loves a Villain is 11 tracks of pop frippery that cares not for such regional divides.

The first thing the hits you about this album – as ‘No Strings Or Ties’ unfurls like a brightly coloured mongoose – is what a stunningly well-made piece of work this is. The production is pristine. No bumps, no blemishes. I like those. That aside, it reeks of pop confidence, pitching the Who against Human League in a bawdy tale of sexual shenanigans. In fact, you’ll find this album is almost entirely about relationships of one kind or another (apart from ‘The Twilight Kids,’ about eco demise), which does get a bit one-tracked.

Ignoring that, these tunes cherry-pick from the last four decades of pop, occasionally chucking in the surprise rock riff (touch of BOC here, drop of Yes there), which makes them instantly recognisable, and some of the songs, the eponymous track for example, are strategically planned with military precision – start the harmonies… now. But CW comfortably nestle up against new popsters like Jackdaw 4 and Eureka Machines – happily part of the new people’s popular front.

Rob Wright