Singles #3

Just thought I would note that the singles I pick aren't necessarily grouped together with respect to their release date. I generally pick a mixture of high-profile and more obscure releases that will provoke the most entertaining writing from myself. This generally means, that as (in the age of the dying CD single) release dates these days are a sketchy business (some tracks being released digitally one week prior to a physical release, others 3 weeks, or even available long before that as part of an album, or not physically at all. Which begs the question, what's the point in a single released in no tangeable form that gets no airplay? But that's for another post), I choose to review singles just as they hit their stride in terms of profile, which is generally before their physical release as a self-imposed rule. When I've overlooked something until not long before it's 'official' release which I think warrants a review, I will include it. So, this week I've included a mix of singles due to hit the shops at various points during October. Keane are in there, though their song isn't out fully for a fortnight, but presumably it's in the public consciousness by now anyway, so a review might seem pretty redundant by that point, as are MGMT, whose 'Kids' is out on the 13th, though, as the album did the rounds all summer, their tune could be labelled old hat too.

Also, as gratfifying as it is to belittle the achievements of some major-label mainstream 'indie' band who resemble Simply Red with Mod haircuts (Scouting For Girls being an obvious example) I can see how the cheap shots could get tiresome, so I will be attempting to cover increasing amounts of interesting releases alongside these in the future - nonetheless I've given Kooks and Kaiser Chiefs at least semi-positive reviews during the last few posts, so I'm not 100% prejudiced.

I will be posting other material during the coming weeks too. The single reviews were an excercise to familiarise myself with the blogging process, but if a news story or somesuch event strikes me as blogworthy, then I hope to compose well-researched, balanced and entertaining posts centred upon whichever issue has provoked me to write. Obviously, it's wandering outside my musical comfort zone, but in a world where some unresearched, prejudiced newspaper columists pull in over £1,000,000 per annum for legitimising their readers' bigoted views, quite confidently in fact, I don't think much real damage can be done.


Keane - 'Lovers are Losing' (Island)

Starts off with a highly reverberated guitar note along the lines of David Bowie's 'Heroes', maintaining the (relative) anger apparent on the last LP, which of course coincided with Tom Chaplin's oft-ridiculed rehab spell. Sounds EXACTLY like a close relation of U2's 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)' and, of course will grace the airwaves of Housewife FM as happily as a particularly formulaic Westlife single, but at least the Snowplayisms are kept to a minimum. Has no indie pretensions whatsoever, but with a fine, fiery chorus, in it's field it's no failure at all. File next to Tears For Fears.

Is it 1989 again? As much as it pains me to say it...

8/10

MGMT - 'Kids' (Columbia)

You may have heard this all summer, but not in this slightly remixed form. Perhaps tweaked to sound more like 'Time To Pretend', this version is unnecessary as the original was radio-friendly to begin with, but the instantly recognisable synth hook is as just as euphoric as before. They might look like they've just stepped off the Mighty Boosh set, but with a chain of singles this fine, there are no musical shortcomings to make up for. An ecstatic flashback to summer in an already-unforgiving Autumn.

9/10

Dananananakroyd - Pink Sabbath (Best Before)

Messiahs in the blog world, and as clattering and frenetic as Johnny Foreigner, with McLusky-esque levels of throaty screeching, this Scottish 'post-hardcore' combo are apparently far more indebted to cult US bands like Sonic Youth and At The Drive-In than the traditional British lineage of Smiths and Kinks. Not necessarily one's cup of PG, but at least the Americanisms come from a rawer melting pot of musical history than many Brit Yankophile bands. Sounding raw, live and unprocessed, the overall feel is that of a noisier 'Captain'-era Idlewild, only spoiled by very un-Glasweigan vocal delivery that this writer can't help but feel unconnected to, possibly because I'm too fuckuckuckucking old.

7/10

Late of the Pier - 'Bathroom Gurgle' (Parlophone)

Early single sees the light of day again. Whilst typically indie in image, the spirit of Gary Numan looms large in the work of this young (and, sorry, but ridiculously posh) Donnington quartet. The synths are steeped in New Romanticism but the execution lies somewhere between the Klaxons and the Sex Pistols. 'Bathroom Gurgle' incorporates several sections, whose lack of structure suggests a lack of flow but work nonetheless. Erol Alkan's production is far more suited to LOTP, than Mystery Jets and The Long Blondes, who previously had little of the old electronica in their sound whatsoever. 'Bathroom Gurgle' inhabits the regrettably unpopulated space between Muse's 'New Born' and 'The Time Warp', from a band so ambitious their music may have a shelf-life shorter than a pint of milk, but sound sufficiently relevant at the time of writing.

7/10

Red Light Company - 'Scheme Eugene' (Columbia)

Presumably SonyBMG's 4-years-late answer to The Killers, Red Light Company employ quiet-loud dynamics, which seemingly exist only to enhance the perceived power of the production-line chorus. RLC are so contrived they make One Night Only look uncompromising, and not one second this song fails to scream 'major label laziness'. There is no excuse for anyone over the age of 15 to be interested in this record. If you thought White Lies were a Psychedelic Furs tribute band, then the major-chord formulaism inherent in 'Scheme Eugene' is a masterclass in cynical songwriting.

2/10

Port O'Brien - 'Close The Lid' (City Slang)

Instantly charming, 'Close The Lid' is laden with dramatic hooks which linger in the consciousness long after it reaches it's finale. Whilst obviously comparable to The Shins, a direct lyrical style suggests at least an admirable fanbase, and it should, like it's parent album, be of some comfort to disaffected Arcade Fire fans. Accessible enough to achieve wide appeal, and equally heartfelt.

9/10