Evolutsiya! 40 Best and Rarest 1991-2016

This double album marks the 25th anniversary of the intriguing phenomenon known as The Ukrainians. The band formed almost by accident, when Leeds-based indie band The Wedding Present recorded a Ukrainian set for John Peel's radio show, thanks to the Ukrainian heritage of the band's guitarist Peter Solowka. It was such a success that in 1991 Solowka, with Len Liggins and Roman Remeynes, decided to form a band called The Ukrainians. Their repertoire includes traditional and original Ukrainian songs as well as UK rock songs by The Smiths, The Sex Pistols and Prince, among others, sung in Ukrainian. Sometimes they’re like a folk band with accordion, fiddle and mandolin, other times they’re playing full-on electric guitar rock’n’roll. Their many albums have great titles, such as Never Mind the Cossacks and A Short History of Rock Music in Ukrainian and are one of those strange British hybrids that have proved popular in the UK, in Ukraine and around the world (particularly in Poland). But nobody knows how to categorise them.

This compilation, Evolutsiya (Evolution), is a great introduction. The first disc is a collection of 20 ‘Greatest Hits’, from ‘Oi Divchino’, their debut song to Motorhead's ‘Ace of Spades’ and Velvet Underground's ‘Venus in Furs’. But the second disc is more interesting because it's more quirky, full of never-released or rare remixes and live tracks, such as the self-composed ‘Zrada’, the Joe Meek space-age classic ‘Telstar’ and Sex Pistols’ ‘Anarchy in the UK’ live in Poland. A lucky dip of tracks to appeal to newcomers and completists alike.