Retrospection has been all the rage since the turn of The Millennium. Witness the success of BMW’s Mini, the Gaggia coffee machine and even fashion clothing revivals. Judging by the quantity of daytime antiques TV programmes, which do not quite outnumber the media’s on-going love affair with celebrity chefs and foodie shows, harking back to ‘better times’ remains a popular preoccupation.

When The Feeling, a Sussex and London based five-piece, released its first single, Fill My Little World, in late-2005, it was instantly recognisable as retrospective pop. Inspired clearly by some of the better sounds of the 1960s and 1970s, the band was anything but precious about its place in the market. It wanted pop stardom, it recognised how to achieve it and it would soon obtain it.

Yet, it was Sewn, the second of the tracks on ‘The Feeling - Singles - 2006-2011’ that would become a radio hit and would help to propel the sensible, likeable and eminently musical group to new heights. Eschewing a more typical American lilt to his vocals, lead singer, Dan Gillespie Sells, annunciates clearly and with a distinctive English accent. It creates a memorable element to the group’s sound, which is also supported by impeccably balanced vocal harmonisation from the other four members.

Part of the reason for the group’s success lies in the fact that its members are educated and time-served in the music industry, having commenced their long trek to popularity the best part of a decade before cracking the market. You can hear shades of The Beatles, Supertramp and even The Beach Boys in their sound, which is multilayered and colourful, while very few of their tunes end on a fade, a measure of careful artists that understand the value of a judiciously created pop song.

A collection of their top singles, fourteen excellent tracks that blend sweet pop, with tasteful ballads, covers their career so far. Delightfully formulated hooks captivate the listener and the high quality of musicianship from Richard Jones (bass), Kevin Jeremiah (guitar), Ciaran Jeremiah (keyboards) and Paul Stewart (drums) ensures that, while this album is a compilation, it never actually feels like it.

The Feeling deserves every accolade and awards nomination that it has won over the past six years, including the much-coveted Ivor Novello. It is hard to believe that only three albums (apart from ‘The Singles’) have been released by The Feeling, so much does it feel like an intrinsic part of the scene. If you want a taste of this talented group, ‘The Singles’ is not a bad way to obtain it, although it will guarantee that you will want to leaf through the back albums at your local music retailer, which is also a suitably retrospective action to take in appreciation of a most enjoyable, top-notch pop group.