Curve have released a single. No, really - and it's only been half a decade since the last one. Admittedly it's the moribund music industry's fault that we don't see them more often, but they're rare enough. So what's on it? Firstly, the two tracks from the Gift album featuring Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, the uplifting Want More Need Less and the darker Perish. They were excellent album tracks, and as a double-A-sided single are... still album tracks to be honest.

Editing down to (optimistically) radio-friendly length doesn't help and they sound rather lost out of context. But all is redeemed by the inspired added track, yet another version of Recovery. It's been a b-side before on Pink Girl, and a near identical album track on Come Clean, but this time they got it right, stripped down with just the right hint of menace. This, and the rather tasteful red-flower CD artwork, make it worth buying. Roll on 2007.

***½ (out of 5)

review by Keith Burnett (nicked from Meltdown, dated Winter 2002)