Many of you may not have heard of the name Popsy. But with two self-produced solo albums and a lengthy 10 years in the industry, courtesy of Jazzy B's band, he cannot be ignored. His debut album, Heavy Duty, had only one track of note and the follow up didn't exactly lead to Popsy becoming a household name. However, with this album Popsy has recruited the ever-present Lembher, Shin of DCS, Balkar Sidhu and Ranjit Mani. With Dhol and Dholki by the one and only Sukshinder Shinda, all the ingredients seemed to be present for a hit album. One thing that struck me before I even get to the music is the track listings being sideways on the back of the album to accommodate the ringtones which if the designers had bothered to spend more than 10 mins on they could have easily rotated it so we didn't have to turn the CD on it's side each time we wanted to read a track; pure laziness if you ask me. Is this sign of things to come or will 'Bangin!' be Popsy's big break?

The album kicks off with Lembher's Gidhe Vich. The track heavily reminds me of Aman Hayer's Gabru Shakheen. It's the same type of up-tempo dhol blasting beat. It's a great way to kick off the album. This one will appeal to many. It's just a shame it's yet again Lembher, who could be called a few choice words the amount he gets around. Popsy hasn't just bought the vocal recording of Lembher's - as is proved by Lember mentioning Popsy's name in the lyrics. This one will be doing heavy damage across dance floors nationwide.

Track 2, and we get to hear Shin's contribution to the album. The track is again mainly dhol based. Not one I'd be playing on the dance floors, but a decent enough tune. It's not the first time you would have heard the whole effect of climaxing to the chorus and then slowing the pace down with Shin's vocals though. It's nothing to write home about, but a decent album track. Shin's vocals are unmistakable and it's certainly good to hear a track by him again.

Teriyaan Mohabathan is a total change in tempo. Sung by Samiera Singh, this track is unmistakably where Popsy differs to the rest. He was probably the first producer to experiment with the reggae feel and desi beats, and there is no doubting he is the one who does it best. Good to hear another female vocalist, but whether she goes on to bring out her own tunes remains to be seen. Not exactly a 'Bangin!' track, but that's not to say it's not a good one.

Track 4 sees a return to the dhol beats, and is entitled Nachle Bhabiye - what an innovative title. The singing by Sucha Rangeela (any relation to Durga?!?) is best described as strictly desi. This one would appeal more to the 'freshy' crowd in my opinion. All in all it's an average track.

The fifth track, and the one I was most eagerly anticipating, is Khand Mishri, featuring Balkar Sidhu. Unlike Lembher, Balkar has not flooded the UK with his tracks, instead choosing to focus on his own solo albums in India. His voice is truly unique, and I was expecting this to be Popsy's trump card. However, as soon as Balkar lets rip on this one, it has a distinct case of Déjà vu. Correct me if I'm wrong but did this song not appear on one of Notorious Jatt's albums a while back. We won't detract too much from it being a good track, but just would have preferred to hear something new and fresh from the man.

Pathlo is track six, and is sung by Ranjit Mani. This one is slightly different from the other desi numbers on the album. The beat starts off as a basic desi rhythm, but then settles down into a more laid back reggae type of vibe. This greatly enhances the track, and saves it from the fast forward button.

The next track is called Pind Patiya, and for Popsy's sake, the less I say about it the better. He says there is something for everyone on this album, but god knows whom this one would appeal to. A dancey beat, that is reminiscent of the early 90s, is accompanied by some very basic desi lyrics. The singing by Parmjeet Pama isn't bad but is not best suited to this beat at all. On the back insert of the album, at a right angle to everything else, are the track listings and on the side of these are the corresponding codes to get the ringtones. If you want a ringtone that I'd imagine is more annoying than that Crazy Frog, opt for Pind Pathiya - text MB 59728 to 81330.

Track 8, and we come to the end of the album. May as well end it the way we started, with a Lembher track. At this rate, Lembher's own debut solo album is going to be a very boring affair. This one's called Bhangra Punjbiyan Ne, and has that desi feel again. Not too dissimilar to the opening track, but I'd definitely say track 1 was the stronger track for the dance floor massive.

So there we have it, Bangin! consists of 8 tracks, in the main of desi influence. There are no garage tracks or MC's present, which is a step forward in my opinion. Popsy wasn't lying when he said this was his best work to date. It stands head and shoulders above his previous efforts. However, with only eight tracks, at a time where we are now accustomed to buying albums with the number of tracks hitting double figures is a little disappointing. Okay, it's easy to say the other tracks he could have added would only be regarded as fillers, and the quality of those would not be as high. The only way to find out though would be to have included more tracks on the album. That's not to say this is a bad album. There is only one track that I can honestly say I cannot listen to, and that is not often the case with albums being released nowadays. Bangin! scores a 7.2 and it is Popsy's best work - no doubt, but needs to improve a bit more to get to that next level.