New Releases - 15 Sept

New Releases - 15 Sept

10 September, 2008
by: Music Team

*Single of the Week*
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
RCA

So many bands these days (Pigeon Detectives, The Fratellis) graduate to filling arenas, yet leave their sound in the scummy indie venues where they belong. The Followills are not so bereft of foresight – they knew exactly when to pull out the big guns with their last album, and have been duly rewarded with ever-swelling crowds.

'Sex on Fire' continues their sonic evolution – the guitars swell in the manner of 'War'-era U2, the vocals soar off into the distance. It's unapologetically overblown, and further proof they've comfortably made the step up from groupie-guzzling also-rans to one of the most essential bands in rock today. MF


Sway & Lemar – Saturday Night Hustle
Konvict Music

Sundaymondaytuesdaywedesdaythursdayfridaysaturdaaaaysundaymondaytuesdaywednesday
thursdayfridaysaturdaaaay – is this annoying to read yet? It's nowhere near as annoying as listening to Lemar croon it over and over on this track.

Sway is no better: 'I'm living proof that prayer really works, I never knew how much my words were worth or the reason he put me on this earth'. An arrogant rapper preaching about God – how clichéd. And as for copying Craig David's 'Seven Days' – that really is the lowest of the low. EM


Chris Brown featuring T-Pain – Kiss Kiss
Jive

'Kiss Kiss' is the kind of rowdy but well-mannered crunk 'n' B that makes a Billboard number one and goes triple-platinum in the States. (This is exactly what has happened over there.) Chris Brown is one of those young American entertainers who are a hundred times more accomplished than anyone we have. And T-Pain is always great – don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

In the video, a nice Middle Eastern-looking girl is the main object of Brown's affections, which is a cute gesture towards better international relations. British pop music sucks. RH


The Dodos – Fools
Wichita

When I was a kid I once ate so much cucumber that I was violently ill, and I can't eat cucumbers anymore. I only say this because I'm starting to feel the same way about the whole twee indie-folk thing.

The Dodos latest single 'Fools' sounds like pretty much every other indie-folk record released since 2003, in that is has some cutesy lyrics and Adam and the Ants-style drumming. Pass the bucket dude; I can feel that Peter Bjorn and John record coming up… DH


McFly – Lies
Super Records

Ooh lordy! McFly have gone all Maroon 5! What a peculiar thing to do. 'Lies' is like one of those irritatingly jazzy early Maroon 5 songs, but even shinier. Almost as shiny as Rihanna's 'Disturbia'. And that's pretty darned shiny.

The most notable thing is the ridiculously overblown video. There's a two minute spoken intro about some weird far-future and it looks like what would happen if somebody tried to do an Evian advert using only the left-over set from Duran Duran's 'Wild Boys'. Very strange. TJ


Estelle & Cee-Lo – Pretty Please (Love Me)
Atlantic

Estelle and Cee-Lo team up on this Jack Splash-produced tribute to the bubbling joy of '60s Motown, complete with stepping piano, layered bass, hand claps and horns. There's a nod to Tina Turner with open, effervescent love in the lyrics and delivery.

Estelle's English twang has sound-tracked the summer thanks to Will.I.Am and Kanye, and this is a fitting follow up. Her vocal talents aren't show-stopping but Cee-Lo helps out and this is a ray of nostalgic sunshine. JH


The Black Keys – Oceans and Streams
V2

The Black Keys have a highly adequate career in blues-rock. They invoke authenticity in a way that undeniably tips the scales in favour of adequacy. This single is from their latest album 'Attack and Release' – which, it must be said, has raised the duo's profile by a most adequate margin.

It's all produced by Danger Mouse, who, in capturing this music on record, has not once fallen short of an adequate mark. Fans of sufficiency will love it. RH


Travis – Something Anything
Red Telephone Box

This taster for the Scots' sixth album kicks off with a riff that Weezer would be proud of, and thankfully sets up a track that is a departure from the languid wimp-pop that they have made their own.

Alas, it would appear Fran Healy strained his vocals in 1997 recording 'All I Wanna Do Is Rock', and it is now impossible for him to register anything more than a feeble note. Maybe they should let the drummer have the mic, he looks a bit tougher. MF


Iglu & Hartley – In This City
Mercury Records

American skater with a nasal voice rocks out with his skater mates, busts out a few tricks and does a bit of rapping, a bit of posing. Then they go to the beach, check out some hotties, go surfing and do a gig.

Did I mention they're bare chested? And from Hollywood? They play some cards, drink some beer and generally have crazy amounts of fun. Man. Blah blah blah. LC


Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Come on Over (Turn Me On)
V2

I don't want to alarm everyone, but someone has kidnapped Isobel Campbell – the sweet-voiced warbler from Belle and Sebastian that we all fell in love with – and replaced her with some tragic blues crooner.

'Come on Over' is an odd song in general. On one hand, it's a nice cigarette smoke blues number that sounds like Nick Cave when he was in lounge-mode. But there is something really wrong and creepy about this song, and it's that what makes it amazing. DH

Music Team