FINALLY, the moment of truth. Are J Wilgoose Esq and Wrigglesworth one-trick ponies? Was Inform Educate Entertain a flash in the pan? Could they survive the brilliance of their singular debut?

Second albums are the bogeyman of rock, a huge relief or bitter disappointment, and few bands better their first offering. Roxy’s For Your Pleasure springs to mind and, of course, Led Zep II, but have PSB managed to join this exclusive club?

Not quite, but neither have they blown it. Many believed such a niche band couldn’t get away with it a second time because surely PSB have done all there is to do with Second World War footage and iconic 1950s ads.

Wilgoose knows that and hats off to him for managing to stick with the format while moving the themes on. Still we have audio from old news clips, but instead of the battle for Britain, this time they concern the battle for space.

The arrangements have moved on too, with Gagarin all blaring horns, Sputnik embracing techno, while EVA is pure funk.

That said, PSB are always at their best when gravity is at its heaviest, which makes Fire In The Cockpit – a powerful song about the Apollo I tragedy without any hint of mawkishness, one of the standout tracks. Then there is The Other Side, full of tension as contact is lost, then remade, between Houston and Apollo 8.

So The Race For Space can be filed in the huge relief category. Now for an even more difficult test; how will such a unique band fare on their far trickier third album?