Various

The problem with a musical city like Manchester is that amidst its rich heritage there are bound to be some who slip through the cracks, and that has happened to a certain degree with New Hormones. While best known as being the label that released the Spiral Scratch EP, the first release by the legendary Buzzcocks, during its five active years it had a lot more to offer, as documented on this compilation. It’s hard to pin down exactly what the label’s sound was but the Gang Of Four-esque Dislocation Dance and the jerky, almost improvised songs of Ludus are a good place to start. But it still feels like an incomplete, albeit enjoyable, collection. For example, the sleeve notes mention some tracks as being the label’s pivotal moments, yet those songs aren’t included. Worse still, there’s nothing at all by Gods Gift, labelled as one of the "great lost bands” in the CD booklet. Those omissions are compensated for by five more recent tracks from the bands that stuck around.