The House of Love had the songs. What the band didn't have was good fortune; its timing was off. The House of Love started off in the U.K. with a decent audience willing to cock an ear to its post-Smiths pop music, but when it was time to expand its reach, the Madchester craze hit the U.K. and grunge hit America. Regardless, singer/guitarist Guy Chadwick steadily amassed solid, shimmering singles and album tracks that cut deeper than they appeared. This Best Of was released in 1998, at a time when House of Love's releases were extremely difficult to find in the U.S. Having never caught on beyond alternative radio, the band was in that netherworld where enough time hadn't passed for it to be rediscovered. Nearly all of its singles are collected here, with a few b-sides thrown in for fuller measure. For a 15-track summary, this set has enough highlights to encourage newcomers to go ever deeper. How can a pop fan resist "I Don't Know Why I Love," "Christine," "Never," or "Shine On"? It's likely not possible.