When the Jam kickstarted the mod revival in the U.K. at the tail-end of the '70s, there were only a few bands worthy to follow in their shadow: Squire, Secret Affair, the Lambrettas, and the Chords. While the first three bands had the songs and the style, it was the Chords who brought the Power with a capital P. Like Weller and Co., the Chords had the snarl of the Who, the quintessential British lyrical charm of the Kinks, and the sweaty energy of the punk scene. The Chords' main songwriter and guitarist, Chris Pope, penned songs that were anthemic, angry, and poignant at the same time. Though their career was brief (the 20 songs on this compilation were released within a two-year time span), there was no doubt that they were releasing music that was built to last. Singles like the glorious "Maybe Tomorrow," "Something's Missing," "Now It's Gone," and "The British Way of Life" still sound as vibrant and powerful in 2008 as they did in "the good ol' days". And while less focused, B-sides like "Don't Go Back," "I Don't Wanna Know," and "Hey Girl" are still great fun. This disc also includes rarities like unissued tracks originally meant for singles but canceled for various reasons. Though not absolutely essential, you can also enjoy the A- and B-sides of the band's last two singles, released after vocalist Billy Hassett had been replaced by former Vibrators vocalist Kip. If you don't own the band's sole album, So Far Away (reissued on CD with bonus tracks by Captain Oi), then this is the best place to start your Chords collection. For those who already own the album, then there are a handful of tracks on The Mod Singles Collection that are exclusive to this release, which is reason enough to buy it.