Constantly being demoted to the arse end of a release schedule is not the best of signs.
But now the second LP from Brighton boys, Jason Phat and Russell Small, is deemed ready to be unleashed upon us (just when that Christmas marketing budget is ripe).
While 'Turn Around' was the biggest selling dance single of 1999, the first single from this album didn't quite do that. But maybe that's because kids like garage-pop rather than disco-pop at the moment.
The second single, a discobizan number called 'Change', is getting the usual boys club appreciation from the likes of Judge Jules.
The overall production on this is high, if completely unoriginal. Well exploited genres spill forth, from classic balearia to Screamadelic ska to lovie-soul, but the basic notion is club chart anthems.
The most interesting track is 'Respect The Cock', because, uh, it's rude and vaguely pumping.
The most weird is the Air 'Virgin Suicides' sounding 'Wait Until Tomorrow', but 'This Time Around' generally sounds like a bad rip-off of Morales circa '98.
But there's some beauty to be found on this album and it comes in the form of the fillers which probably won't be released as singles but give girth to the duo's classic skills of keeping tracks simple.
You can't deny the hookiness of tracks like 'Discolady', however sad it is that they invested in a vocoder when half of Paris had done it four years before them; they also lost their old singer to a Boyzone dropout collaboration. Now they've got the vocals from a Hollyoak's star.
The funk comes in the form of swooshed samples of the beach and upbeat bells and bass guitar lines.
If they hadn't felt the need to inflict a number one upon us, the overall energy of this album may well have been more diverse, dynamic, less grating and, uh, just better really.
But if it's pop you're looking for, Hippodrome style, you may get caught in the mousetrap.
