Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, September 22
IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: FLOBOTS – HANDLEBARS: Flobots are a rip-roaring six-piece who hail from Denver, Colorado, who formed in 2005 in the aftermath of the previous year’s Presidential election. They’re often compared to and a mix of The Roots, Rage Against The Machine and N*E*R*D for the way in which they combine rock/rap elements. But there’s also a pop savviness that’s just as comparable to the style of Gym Class Heroes. New single Handlebars provides an excellent showcase of their credentials, which immediately impress. It was one of the fastest rising new songs of 2008 in the US, soaring to No.1 on the Alternative chart, and holding down the top spot on LA’s influential radio station KROQ for more than two months running. It’s a slow-building cross of rock and hip-hop that’s brimming with cutting social commentary, imaginative vocals and plenty of instrumental layering. It begins with a plucked acoustic guitar, before drawing on drums, electric guitars and even brass. The result, like we said, marks the arrival of a really worthwhile new act on these shores.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN – COME ON OVER (TURN ME ON): The second single to be taken from the album Sunday At Devil Dirt, the follow-up to the Mercury nominated Ballad Of The Broken Seas, Come On Over (Turn Me On) is the sound of Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell at their downright sexiest. Opening with a lovely set of strings and then entering ultra-moody, huskily seductive territory, it’s a slow-burning, even bluesy duet that’s every bit as provocative as its name suggests. Lanegan and Campbell clearly relished recording this one and their vocal chemistry is piping hot on this one, augmented by those strings and guitar solos that run crisply throughout. His gruff style also rubs off perfectly against her sultry tones. Delicious stuff.
Rating: 4 out of 5
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN – HOLIDAY: Holiday is the new single to be released from Joan As Police Woman’s sophomore album To Survive. It’s a typically classy offering, dripping in laidback grooves, smooth, soulful vocals and a strong dramatic thrust to the lyrics. Joan Wasser is a truly gifted singer and songs such as this explain why To Survive is set to eclipse the success of Joan’s debut LP Real Life, both critically and commercially. And if you’re surprised by the complexity of the lyrics, then don’t be – Joan herself makes no apology for the heartfelt nature of the material, stating in the album’s PR: “I’m always trying to dig deeper into the emotional experience. I want to access the most honest place I can, distill it and present it in a way that makes sense musically.” She certainly does that.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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MERCURY REV – SENSES ON FIRE: Senses On Fire is the first single to emerge from Mercury Rev’s album Snowflake Midnight (released on September 29) and it’s actually something of a departure from what we’ve come to expect. Yes, there are ethereal elements; yes, it’s layered and intelligently composed, but apart from a shoegazing intro, it’s more akin to a dance offering from the likes of The Chemical Brothers or New Order than a Mercury Rev offering. The synths are crisp, even vibrant, the vocals repetitive without being unwelcome and the whole track has that energising quality that just keeps getting better and more urgent with each new listen. A shouty middle section is a radical departure, too, that suggests the new LP will be extremely worth listening to. Jonathan has already commented that the LP is “a self-organising dance of uncontrollable stillnesses (rising/bursting/thriving/flourishing) on a delicate sharp edge of dissolution”. Not really sure what that means, but the remix of Senses On Fire by Fuyija & Miyagi is a belter!
Rating: 4 out of 5
JAMES MORRISON – YOU MAKE IT REAL: James Morrison underlines his reputation as one of Britain’s finest new singer-songwriters with heartfelt new single You Make It Real. A ballad designed to pay tribute to the support and encouragement of a loved one, it’s a mature, intelligent piece of songwriting that’s romantic without being sappy (Will Young take note!). The lyrics include lines such as “when my head is strong but my heart is weak, I’m full of arrogance and uncertainty but I can find the words you teach my heart to speak” – and they’re delivered with genuine feeling, while the guitar backing is nicely layered and slow-building for maximum emotional effect. A welcome return from Mr Morrison, we think!
Rating: 4 out of 5
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RIHANNA – DISTURBIA: Rihanna releases Disturbia, one of a set of new songs that feature on the Good Girl Gone Bad Reloaded album. It’s a typically upbeat offering that opens with a catchy “bum-bum be-dum bum-bum de-bum bum” intro before dropping a lively beat and some typically striking vocals. It certainly has an electric charge, bedded by the synths, that also inform the vocals at times – but which help to lend it a distinctly contemporary edge during the chorus. It’s cheesy as hell, but if you find yourself bopping along to Rihanna’s last smash hit Umbrella, then this should tick all the right boxes for you. She’s an engaging pop performer.
Rating: 3 out of 5
INNERPARTYSYSTEM – DIE TONIGHT, LIVE FOREVER: “We’re all here cos we’ve lost control”, proclaim Innerpartysystem at the start of their new single Die Tonight, Live Forever. It’s designed as a rallying call to compliment the pounding synths and vaguely drum ‘n’ bass beats that populate this pumped up offering. Innerpartysystem are a loud hybrid of bands such as Pendulum, The Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails and are every bit as hit-and-miss as those acts. Die Tonight, Live Forever works best on the dancefloors where its relentless energy can best be appreciated and acted upon; but it’s a less satisfying home listen that is a little too like Pendulum material. They’re in danger of sounding like an also-ran before they’ve even broken through!
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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WHITE LIES – DEATH: White Lies release new single Death as a taster of what to expect from their forthcoming debut album, due for release in early 2009. It’s a brooding effort that wears its intentions on its sleeve – to fill stadiums. There’s a throbbing bassline, vaguely echoed vocals, strings and guitars all conspiring to create an atmospheric sound that clearly takes its cue from the epic style of The Verve, The Killers and even The Cult. It’s particularly effective when it explodes into life and finally lets the guitars off the leash just after the three-minute mark. White Lies are Harry McVeigh (vox/guitar), Charles Cave (bass) and Jack Brown (drums) and they’re currently worked on the aforementioned debut album at ICP studios in Brussels with acclaimed producer Ed Buller (Pulp, Suede) and Max Dingel (The Killers, Glasvegas). It promises to be interesting.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
POPULAR WORKSHOP – REPTILIANS: The second single to be released from Popular Workshop’s debut album (due for release on October 6 and called We’re Alive, And We’re Not Alone) is Reptilians, an effort that capably sums up the ethos behind their songwriting: “art-disco and discordant chaos”. Inspired by and compared to a “spazzed out, danced up Sonic Youth and Bloc Party”, the song does thrive upon its bed of angular, punky guitar riffs, which are delivered with real gusto, but is less successful vocally. Wisely, though, the guitars are placed to the fore, while the vocals shout in and out in typically (and arguably proudly) shambolic fashion. It’s best played loud, for maximum “discordant” effect – but if the first few listens sound like a mess, be patient for there are pleasures to be found!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SHRI – JUST FOR A MINUTE: Shri’s new album Seven Steps is described as sounding like a fresh take on his own sound, with a lot more attitude, less polite but still with a strong Indian accent to it. The LP takes funked up versions of Bombay street beats, where big bass lines loop slowly under traditional Indian instrumentals along with drum beats, which skit in, out and around bass and melodies across the 11 tracks. The first single to be taken from it is Just For A Minute, a floating four minutes of atmospheric strings and horns undulating around the emotive vocals of Mobo Award winner Fola Phillips. It’s immediately appealing and expertly delivered, with Philips’ striking vocals providing a supremely assured accompaniment to the Indian-influenced strings and horns. Long term collaborator DJ Badmarsh takes on remix duties, too, turning in a laidback take on dubstep, while Shri himself provides a darker, percussion heavy re-rub to complete the trio of edits. On the evidence of this first new material, the album promises to be quite special.
Rating: 4 out of 5
NELSON – THE (OVER) SONG: Hailing from Paris, France, discoid post-punks Nelson release The (Over) Song, taken from their album Revolving Doors. Dark yet vibrant, it’s the sound of Nelson at their brooding best, with introverted lyrics and angular guitar riffs eventually coming together in a real head-spinning crescendo. The early bassline sets the standard, while the menacing chorus (“this is not over, this is not over”) screams out to be defiantly chanted along with. A number of hard hitting remixes and dub mixes come from Chicken Lips, Midfield General, Black Mike and The Shows. It could well be that Nelson are about to live up to their hype as pioneers of stylish, surreal new-wave punk. The Midfield General remix is particularly worth listening out for.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SAINT ETIENNE – BURNT OUT CAR: Saint Etienne return with a pumped up slice of Ibiza-friendly dance that is currently going down a storm on the Kiss playlist. It’s actually an old fan favourite given a 2008 treatment by Xenomania in an attempt to make it as urgent and relevant as it was upon initial release. It does just that but in so doing, also lumbers it with some unnecessarily cheesy elements that make it sound pretty formulaic and generic, albeit with some retro sensibilities. Needless to say, it’s designed to win listeners over to their Greatest Hits compilation, which will be winging its way into record stores shortly. There is far better material worth checking out on that.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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WILL YOUNG – CHANGES: Will Young returns with the first single to emerge from his fourth studio album, Let It Go in the form of Changes. It’s another polished slice of pop and soul that seems to be channelling the energy of both George Michael and Mick Hucknall, without really impressing that highly in the process. The moody video suggests that we’re supposed to care about the changes that Will is singing about, and hoping for – but when all’s said and done, the only change we’d really be happy with is a new career from the former Pop Idol winner (and not as an actor, either!). This is just bland, chart-friendly material.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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SARAH WHATMORE – SMILE: After a break of six years, Sarah Whatmore returns with new single Smile, a mellow ballad that laments being let down by a lover and the heartache that follows the breakdown of an intimate relationship. The song is the result of Sarah’s collaboration with songwriter Greg Fitzgerald (Kylie Minogue, Hall & Oates), which came about when Fitzgerald saw Whatmore perform at the Royal Albert Hall and was mesmerised by her voice, despite her microphone failing in front of a full auditorium! The result is a semi-OK ballad that’s interspersed with a vocal sample from the Hall & Oates 70’s track Sara Smile. Inspired by real emotion, the tone is ethereal yet vigorous and could yet yield a successful comeback. It’s certainly better than the Pop Idol material that first got her noticed by a certain Simon Cowell, even though the remixes – by Bimbo Jones and Vito Benito – do it no favours whatsoever.
Rating: 3 out of 5
DOWNLOAD SELECTIONS
GUILLEMOTS – KRISS KROSS/CLARION: Guillemots return with a colour-filled double A-side download release in the form of Kriss Kross and Clarion. Co-produced by Guillemots and Adam Noble, Kriss Kross is the album’s opening track and juxtaposes a dark, raging verse with a jubilant, Motown-inflected chorus. It’s typical of the ambitious scope of Guillemots’ songwriting that it defies easy categorisation and instantly grabs your attention with its menacing synth stabs. Clarion, meanwhile, is a bubbling, almost cartoon-like R’n’B track that dates back to 2003. Explains lead singer Fyfe Dangerfield: “[For Clarion] we just layered on loads and loads of tiny keyboard sounds to create this kind of flicking sound. And it has this Chinese instrument called a pipa at the end, which I’ve always wanted to use on a track. It was a fun song to record.” And it’s a fun song to listen to, emerging as arguably the pick of the two. The single will be available as a four-track digital bundle and a very special limited edition 10” vinyl that also includes two previously unreleased tracks.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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ELENA – PINK PUNK: Compared to everyone from Marianne Faithful to Cerys from Catatonia, due to her rough croon, Elena releases her new single Pink Punk through iTunes and other major sites. It’s certainly the case that Elena’s most distinctive feature are her vocals, which really lend the song a raw, lived-in quality. But it can also be a distraction that doesn’t always sit comfortably with the accomplished guitar work. Over the chorus, they work quite well; but are less successful during the verses. Hence, Pink Punk is only ever a halfway decent listen that probably won’t enable Elena to break into the mainstream rock scene just yet.
Rating: 3 out of 5
CRYSTAL CASTLES – CRIMEWAVE: Taken from their debut album Crimewave was originally released a year ago as a limited 7” on fledgling label Trouble. A meeting of Crystal Castles and noise terrorists Health, it’s a hypnotic slice of robot-pop that’s synth-heavy, vaguely haunting and occasionally very appealing. If you’re a fan of Crystal Castles material in general, this will probably rate among your favourites; but it also could appeal to newcomers even though the whole synth-disco scene is threatening to become a little stale. The new release of Crimewave is available as a download and 12”, featuring a special remix package from the likes of LA Riots, Keith and Sinden. It’s arguably at its most appealing in the short radio friendly version, when it doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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