After seventeen years of relative musical inactivity, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alan Brown (former member of John Peel favourites Big Flame, A Witness, amongst others) returns to his The Great Leap Forward musical project with a scintillating new CD release Finished Unfinished Business.

The title of the CD tells the story of the release – all eleven songs featured were at incomplete “work in progress ” stage when Brown decided to put The Great Leap Forward on hold in the early 1990’s to pursue other interests.

Now, returning to update and complete those songs more than a decade and a half later, Finished Unfinished Business features a confident and assured Brown delivering trademark melodic and danceable guitar-driven tunes with those familiar social commentaries and politically overt lyrics – the quintessential mix that received such critical acclaim the first time around.

From the countering of the demonisation of young people in the pop opener Tolerance and Respect , through the support for land reform in developing countries in the rolling Wholesome Ways To Change The World and the only song yet known to be written in support of the ethical policies of the Co-operative Bank in the driving It’s Our Business To Say NO to the reflective home area vignette of the pumping The Happiest People Under The Sun (Part 1) - Alan Brown wears his social conscience on his wide-ranging musical sleeve as only he can.

Regardless of whether you’re already familiar with The Great Leap Forward, or you’re discovering the band for the first time, Finished Unfinished Business sees the return of a distinctive appraisal of modern society through the medium of pop music that’s as relevant for today’s pop kids (and their parents) as it ever was.

You can listen to excerpts from some of the songs here and buy the CD and/or MP3 downloads here. Enjoy.