Deluxe Editions are cheeky things. On the one hand, when you’re a massive fan of the band, they’re a great way to wrap your ears around previously unheard tracks, bonus live material, or exclusive remixes. But in the eyes and minds of your cynical friends and music journos alike, it’s the label conning you out of your hard earned pocket money with a few extra ‘acoustic’ versions. At the least devious it’s giving an album that had little impact upon first release a renewed push following a well received single (hello ‘Plage’!).

Forgetting this for a minute, because it’s never really the band’s fault, let’s concentrate on Star Of Love‘s original 12 tracks, first released last October. Crystal Fighters had been working their way to a full debut over the last few years, rising from the ashes of the nu-rave explosion with tracks like the blaring and deliciously obnoxious noise of ‘I Love London’ and a live show that begged for the resurrection of the glow stick generation.

Over that time though, they’ve developed into much more than a lasting thread of a tired fad that refused to snap. Tracks like ‘Plage’ and ‘At Home’ glisten and coast seamlessly through endearing verse to glorious pop chorus. ‘Champion Sound’ is all bad accent sing-along, while ‘I Do This Everyday’ and ‘I Love London’ explode with just enough bounce that they surpass cheese and drive wryly at the hips.

And now to those extra 5 acoustic tracks… Well, as pretty as they are, it’s just a bit pointless really. The original album is fine fun on its own. If you already own this record, there’s really no point in splashing out on the newer version. If you don’t, then pick it up. It works well with the sun.