LUKE Haines is a strange cove. Well, maybe not that strange, but certainly unique, having operated both inside and outside the musical mainstream for almost 20 years now.

This triptych of discs rounds up the best of The Auteurs' four albums, some solo offerings and a few cuts from Haines' least popular incarnation of all, the wonderfully wilful Baader Meinhoff - in other words, nothing from his most commercial venture Black Box Recorder. However, no matter. This extensive set is a fine showcase for Haines' critically lauded but commercially under-appreciated songwriting.

Musically, Haines runs the gamut from shiny proto-Britpop to densely layered moodiness, but this journey is rarely less than a riot - Nick Churchill