Back in the mid-noughties The Ordinary Boys were riding the crest of a wave; a series of hits, celebrity status for Preston via his appearance in one of the more memorable Big Brother series, and a sound that combined American pop punk with an English, Britpop edge, a fusion forged via Preston's lengthy spell spent in the States just before the band was formed. That sound was captured on their debut album Over the Counter Culture, which morphed into a more ska based sound for the follow up Brasshound, before Preston succumbed to the allure of mainstream pop on the very patchy third album, the irony-ridden How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted in Ten Easy Steps. It was a step too far it seemed for the rest of the band, and they unofficially ceased to be while Preston explored a solo career and a new career as a songwriter for others, enjoying along the way, the huge co-written hit with Olly Murs, Heart Skips A Beat.

 
The Boys never truly went away though, coming back for the occasional tour and gig. But it wasn't until last year that Preston finally came back full circle, largely inspired by his new friendship with, and soon-to-be bandmate, Louis Jones, formerly of The Spectrals, their relationship crystallised by a mutual and re-kindled love of American punk pop and hardcore…
 
And so, somewhat out of the blue, and with relatively little fanfare, the band – in its original form, minus original guitarist and co-writer William Brown, but now featuring guitarist and co-writer Louis Jones – have recorded what sounds like what the band would have sounded had this been released before Over the Counter Culture. Could the band re-create the magic again? Yes, they could.
 
Their energy levels are up throughout, The Ordinary Boys blazing a trail through finely tuned, and superbly crafted punk pop nuggets, that largely take their cue from their love of no-nonsense stateside music, particular on the leading triumvirate of songs, all future Ordinary Boys classics; big guitars, melodic lines and anthemic choruses litter About Tonight, Awkward and Four Letter Word, that combine the punk pop power of The Ramones with the melodic nous of Husker Du, the voices of Jones and Preston taking turns on lead vocals, complimenting each other brilliantly.
 
Elsewhere, I'm leaving You (and I'm Taking You With Me), has more of a UK punk and new wave feel combined with retro American rock'n'roll sounds, that is natural and often integral to American punk and hardcore. Again, it roars along thanks to big chords, intricate guitar lines, manic drumming and deft baselines, while Losing My Cool and Cruel are another pair of high energy American influenced songs; poppy, punchy, and punchy. Not only have the band 'regressed' in terms of the music, but lyrically Preston and Jones re-imagine themselves as teenage innocents, perhaps defiant in the face of their maturing years (Preston is 33): "Why do you have to be so cruel to me/why do you want to have happiness when you could have me instead' is one of many youthful lines about love and relationships.
 
Although the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to the scintillating first six tracks, the band branch out a little more, taking the foot of the accelerator and hitting the mark on the Teenage Fanclub vibe of Almost Ready, before closing out with the jangle-pop of Indisposable Anthem.
 
As the lyrics go on the led track, About Tonight: "Looking back I never saw it coming, I brought this on myself, yeah it was me and no one else/Count My Blessings and make this count for something more, and when it's time to make amends, I'm gonna do it for my friends." Indeed, Preston and co are now doing it for real…
 
Jeff Hemmings