Ask most Britpop fans and they’ll say the scene died in ’97, with Oasis’ charliefest Be Here Now and Blur’s course-correcting selftitled. Some might even say Princess Di’s death marked the end of Cool Britannia and that took Britpop out as collateral damage.

Whatever expiration date you assign to the scene, it’s clear that by the beginning of the new millenium, British music was in a weird state, at least from this side of the Atlantic. Outside of Robbie Williams, it seemed there weren’t that many hits from the UK resonating with our crowd.

Then it started to trickle again, but now in two different shapes. On one hand, Elbow seemed to get some reach, with their intimate almost baroque pop, with I am Kloot following suit. On the other hand, Coldplay was bringing a poppier side of ballads that still had a rock heartbeat. Parachutes was a massive hit over here. I think Coldplay cleared a path for acts like Keane and Starsailor.

I didn’t care much about Starsailor, but then again, my first experience was listening to Alcoholic. I was in a deep depression when I heard it and if didn’t do me any favours. Jump to a few years in the future, and I’m with a friend, watching Layer Cake (Daniel Craig’s best role) and in comes a brutal, hard rocking track with a dance beat.

It was the Soulsavers’ remix of Starsailor’s four to the floor. That moment, I decided to reevaluate the band. I went for their first album first, and barring Alcoholic, the whole album is brilliant. Album opener Tie up my hands is intimate, corrosive and brutally honest.

Although the original version of Four to the Floor doesn’t have that energy from the Soulsavers remix, it still is a cracking track. The string section never becomes cheesy (a common trap some bands snare themselves with) and you still get a good beat to tap your foot to.

Starsailor is still releasing albums and touring, and colour me surprised, I still like them. I might’ve gotten the wrong first impression, but sometimes that happens. It’s the fortuitousness of giving them a second chance based on a remix what really raises a small smile.

And that was my week of Britpop bands, folks. Back to scattershot ideas next week. Please take care and hug your loved ones.

-Sam J. Valdés López