From their MySpace: "They themselves find it hard to classify beyond the deliberately vague self-applied term 'wrong pop'. Critics seem similarly unable to agree on what they are, veering in opinion between structureless avant-garde experimentalism and super-melodic noise pop. The band, naturally, disagree with both schools of thought..." Fair enough.

Their first single "The Orange Shop" was named by BBC6 DJ Marc Riley as his No.1 single of 2006 and reached no.14 in the festive fifty. And ‘Puzzle’ is a worthy offering in the same somewhat off-the-wall vein. Das Wanderlust are a three-piece based on Teesside who, since the beginning of 2008, have consisted of Laura Susan Simmons (mostly singing and keyboards), Andrew Richard Elliott (mostly guitar and keyboards), and Wesley John Stephenson - also of the astonishing ‘High Plane Drifters’ - (mostly drums). (Though Wes’s predecessor drums on this single).

"Puzzle" opens with heavy guitar / drums riffing, shrieking whoops from Laura, then a fairground-reminiscent repeating verse / chorus line, and concludes with a thoughtful outro. As the Guardian observed: "If John Peel were still walking this earth and muttering inanities to himself in the wee small hours about bedroom pop there’s no doubt that Das Wanderlust would be held to the heart of the great man. Is that a young woman in a pinafore dress shrieking her eyes out? Is that the sound of Kenicke being throttled in their sleep? Hell, yes..."

The B-side "Tape Project #1" - a 6'50" montage of a whole range of recorded stuff is perhaps what makes this offering really exceptional. And strange. Das Wanderlust in a nutshell.

Das Wanderlust, playing in the dark basement bar at the Purple Onion were one of our highlights of Middlesbrough Music Live. They embark on a comprehensive UK and mainland European tour in September. Get to a gig and get this.