All genres are littered with bands that somebody somewhere thinks are unsung. Some are unsung because they influenced other, more successful acts, whereas there are artists that are unsung because they just didn’t land quite the right way at the right time. That Petrol Emotion are, arguably, the latter.

Formed by the brothers O’Neill from the ashes of legendary pop punk band The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion immediately come across as a whole different proposition on their 1986 debut album Manic Pop Thrill. Sure, primary songwriter (on this and subsequent album Babble) John O’Neill had already proven he knew his way around a tune in his old band, but this new outfit were something else entirely. Daring, politically charged post-punk all but blows away the cheerier, more saccharine vibes of The Undertones, and the result is truly great.