Frequently remembered as one-hit wonders, Strawberry Switchblade's three minutes of fame occured back in 1984 with the cute electro-pop ditty 'Since Yesterday'. Although publicised as an introduction to their music, this collection contains virtually the entire recorded works of songwriting duo Rose McDowell and Jill Bryson, including all the tracks from their one and only album, albeit in confusingly random order.
Although dressed like gothic princesses, the duo were ostensibly a pop band occasionally hamstrung by some Stock-Aitken-Waterman style synths; creating a sound which now sounds like a smarter, more melancholic version of Bananarama ('Michael Who Walks By Night' sits nicely alongside 'Robert De Niro's Waiting'). They could also harmonise quite beautifully on romantic pop ballads like 'Go Away' but its the darker material which resonates now such as '10 James Orr Street', 'Deep Water' and 'Being Cold'; the latter approaching lost classic status. Looking back it's a shame that they didn't progress to a second album but at least this compilation does justice to a fine act whose songs have stood the test of time pretty well.