Good Shoes get sexy, Alexandra Burke puts on a magic show and Sic Alps pull a whitey.
Sic Alps/ Magik Markers – Split 7”
Yik Yak
Coming out of a joint tour between Sic Alps and Magik Markers, this split EP finds both bands in full on psych mode.
Although the 3 tracks from Magik Markers aren’t too shabby, with opener ‘The Diamond Guitar of Tico Feo’ being a stand out, the Sic Alp tunes are beyond amazing. ‘Long Cheveux’ in particular sounds like a tripper version of the Velvet Underground. I’d totally be up for moving stateside on the strength of this record alone. 4.5/5
DH
These New Puritans – We Want War
Domino Records/Angular Records
A bit of a tale of two songs is this seven-minute epic. Part one is all dark synths married to bludgeoning beats, with carefully positioned backmasked mutterings – a bit like Massive Attack being played by dustbin-fiddling theatre performers Stomp.
However, this merely acts as the brooding prelude to a sparkling second half, where the almost bhangra beat is stalked by whooshing sound effects and eerie choral vocals, even allowing for the faintest hint of melody amidst the din. And not a wall of sound guitar screech within earshot – practically revolutionary. 4/5
JL
Good Shoes - Under Control
Brille
Imagine, if you will, an alternate world, where records have anthropomorphised and exist in a little vinyl utopia of their own. In this bizarre fantasy, the Arctic Monkeys’ back catalogue has engaged in a squalid foursome with the Foals album, and this is the sound of their rough and dirty sex.
“Lips on lips to taste salty skin/where soft meets hard” purrs Rhys Jones. Serge Gainsbourg it ain’t – it’s not even particularly sexy – but the Mordenites’ filthy progression is certainly satisfying. 4/5
MF
So Solid Crew – Since You Went Away
7 Digital
A kind of ‘Return of the Mack’/’Still D.R.E.’ statement of intent from So Solid Crew, who announce – with slightly misguided swagger – their return to the business of making music. Yes, they’re back, with such baffling assertions as: “Me and my boys just flew on the plane, but now the plane came back and now we’re on it again”...
Actually this isn’t as terrible as I’d expected. Various slices of disjointed and nonsensical posturing are nicely held together by Lisa Maffia’s gravelly Madge-from-Neighbours vocals. Maybe she should just stay solo. 3/5
TJ
Madness – Forever Young
2 Tone records
I'll be honest - I thought Madness were destined for the scrap heap. There was that period a while back where they only played ska covers and every time I had the misfortune to catch Suggs on Virgin Radio he was playing 'Baggy Trousers'. Don't even get me started on those Birds Eye adverts.
Then they released an album of new stuff last year and everyone went mental about it. I'm not a big two-tone fan but I quite this third single. Jaunty yet laid-back, it gets catchier with every listen. 3/5
EM
The Nervous Wreckords – Nailbighter EP
HiSpeed Soul
If you forgive the quite frankly atrocious punnery in their name, it’s quite easy to like The Nervous Wreckords.
As a collaborative effort between Louis XIV’s Brian Karscig and Cornershop member and producer Andrew Saffery, they create a heavy soulful sound that is a refreshing change from the swathes of dirges poured out by the self-pitying, navel-gazing wimps pathetically plucking at a guitar who pass for rock stars these days. 3/5
PL
Fyfe Dangerfield - She Needs Me
Unsigned
Well there is no denying the guy is talented; his wiki-listed musical feats are numerous and the Guillemots are pretty magical. And I suppose there is nothing truly awful that can be said about this seemingly nice young man and his new guillemot-esque epic ballad.
Yet the latest instalment in the Dangerfield saga is about as predictable as the latest Celeb Big Brother. Whilst being vaguely entertaining and not without its fireworks, there is nothing new about it. 3/5
GM
Plan B- Stay too Long
679/Atlantic
Plan B was Ben Drew's personality ensconced in vitriol. His first album was awkward to listen to because it covered difficult subject matter over a coyly familiar sound, but the clash makes it feel a lot more valuable than new single, 'Stay too Long' which seems an unnecessarily twee retreat to his teenage self.
The music's dated and cliched, his voice is decent but is interrupted and undermined by the rapped middle 8. So what's the point? To prove his success; his ability; his stubborn critics wrong? If anything it threatens to dis-confirm the tunes he wrote before.2/5
PW
Alexandra Burke - Broken Heels
Sony Music/Syco Music
Perfectly popish, not poptastic, expectedly repetitive; this will be played non stop at New Look. Unremarkable and just about bearable for a while until you're 'urgh shopping!' and ' urgh this song!'.
What happens is, all the ladies tell the fellas we can do what they can do, we can do it even better in broken heels and there's a magic show and an escalator and she wants you to watch her yeah, yeah, yeah. Gender equality and all that. 2/5
NK
The first new releases of 2010 was brought to you by the letter R, who despite the weather, still made it into work, unlike you lazy people. He's not bitter about it, he's just from the north and can't understand what all the fuss is about.
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