Like Vic Godard locked in a Deep South phone box shouting joyous tidings down the phone to his mam in Brighton. Elsewhere, BSP rhyme 'Casio' with 'ELO'. There's balls, wit and melody aplenty here.

ST, Sleazenation, May 2002

It's a rare and precious band that can both bemuse and enchant their adience. As this single demonstrates, Brighton based quartet, British Sea Power, are such a band.

Stooped in Joy Division-esque dynamism and rock-out guitar riffs, 'The Spirit of St. Louis' lifts off with the vocal acrobatics of frontman, Yan, and crashes back to earth as the final bass notes drift out of earshot. Its more a jet fighter in turbulene than a battleship at sea and all the more wonderfully exhausting for it.

But then, just as convincingly as we've been shaken, we're soothed with second A-side, 'The Lonely'. 'I drink all day and play by night' coos Yan as he prepares himself for the rock 'n' roll life of drugs and pleasure that he'll soon find hard to resist.

Occasionally poignant, often outlandish, British Sea Power are a lot more than just a drop in the ocean.

Matt Thompson, dotmusic, 25th April 2002