During the late '80s, when I was a fanatical listener of WXRC The Rock out of Hickory, North Carolina, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing emerging artists like World Party alongside Bad Company, the Doors, Cinderella and Judas Priest, to name just a few. That kind of commercial radio eclecticism was practically unheard of even then, but for such strange bedfellows to appear on the same radio playlist today would be akin to a pterodactyl showing up at your birdfeeder.

So I'm nostalgic for a time, even if briefly and intermittently, when rock was just rock, neat compartments be damned, and this great, literate alternative pop nugget is a showcase for such a philosophy. The brainchild of former Waterboys member Karl Wallinger, World Party churned out soulful, instrumentally diverse pop that fit loosely into the emerging alternative rock movement but remained effective on its own terms. Wallinger is an expressive singer, but his playful yet forceful lyrics truly fuel this track: "We're setting sail to the place on the map from which no one has ever returned." This is rock to which English teachers could listen without cringing, a rare specimen indeed.

• Compare prices on World Party CDs here.
• Official World Party Website