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When a bunch of fresh-faced teenagers called The Poppyfields released a single called 45 RPM in February 2004, the video received much airplay and the song landed in the charts at number 28. In reality, however, The Poppyfields were nothing more than a front for a revitalised The Alarm, using guerilla tactics to stage a chart comeback.

It was a comment on how image dictates record sales in the present day. Frontman Mike Peters told The Guardian: "We noticed that a lot of bands suffer when they attempt comebacks because people generally don't believe they can ever be as good as they once were. We wanted to make sure we are judged purely on the strength of the music, and not by our old hairstyles."

The game's up for The Poppyfields, then. But such publicity stunts weren't really necessary. Thankfully, The Alarm's latest work - 13 years after their last studio offering - stands proudly alongside their best work from the 80s and 90s. What's more, there's not a bad song on show.

In The Poppy Fields sets out its store with the storming opening track Coming ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, which begins with the couplet, "I've been away, I'm back again/So much to say, no time to waste". It's a paean to a lovers reunion, but the relevance to The Alarm's new lease of life isn't hard to see.

Of course, The Alarm has stayed alive for years - in name at least - thanks in part to Mike Peters' sterling dedication to keeping the flame alive, but also due to the band's fiercely loyal army of fans.

The tracks on In The Poppy Fields are tainted by nostalgia, with numerous lyrical references to the band's past. One only needs to look at the song titles: Coming ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ; New ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ New Life; The Rock And Roll; Right Back Where I Started From.

They're even releasing the album as a limited edition two CD set, complete with sides A and B. Then there's 45 RPM itself, living the nostalgic dream from its opening reference to the Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch to its triumphant exhortation to "Keep the dream alive until the end".

But this is no mere retread of past glories. The Alarm are back on form, harking back to their golden days yet feeling fresher than ever. Sure, it's defiantly AOR, but who's complaining when it's done this well? In The Poppy Fields is an album worthy of The Alarm's considerable legacy. It'll delight the old guard and maybe win over a whole new legion of followers in the process. Power to the poppy.

Words: Joe Goodden