An ecstatic coma courtesy of The xx? Or a tussle with drunken oafs at ear splitting volume? Welcome back to Singles Of The Week.
The xx – VCR
Young Turks
The xx's debut album isn't quite what you'd expect from a group of 20 year olds so it's not surprising then that lead singer Romy says their fans are "mostly 30 year olds." No drums or brash noise; just sparse, bass-heavy songs with gorgeous languid melodies.
Many a time I've felt myself slipping into an ecstatic coma while listening to this album and while VCR isn't my favourite track, it's still beautifully soporific with gentle xylophone notes complementing Romy and bassist Oliver's melancholic vocals. 4/5
EM
Shepdog/Black Grass - Dare Man/Show me Dub
Nice Up!
Nice Up! strike again. This time it's the Gorillaz' 'Dare' that gets a reggae re-rub from Shepdog. It's over Malente's 'Ska Wars' rather than a classic reggae groove which makes for a bouncy number. Possibly not as strong as some of his previous outings, but still a party rocker.
The flip is the one I'll be playing though, Black Grass's steppy reggae version of 90's house classic Show Me Love by Robin S. 4/5
TO
The Soft Pack – C'mon
Kemado Records & Heavenly Records
It's still too grey for this kind of Californian happy crap but on a good day, this peppy as heck, sunny, beachy stuff is ace. Definitely a nod to The Strokes, maybe an elbow nudge to The Kinks.
A disappointing lyrical fail at the chorus but choruses are always pants. Don't play this on loop, do be grateful its only two minutes. A serious let down on the edge front, in fact, this is almost good clean fun. 3/5
NK
The Branded – She's My Woman
Dirty Water Records
Possibly the least photogenic apples ever to fall from the Scandinavian tree, these cock-eyed Swedish rapscallions describe themselves as "drunken oafs hammerin’ out crude chords at ear splittin' volume".
Whilst I was under the impression that Oasis had split up, this description turned out to be a ruse – actually the band are distinctly forgettable garage-rock with, worse, the same labouring 12-bar blues fascination and faux-crappy production as perennially overrated fuzz-packers The White Stripes. 'She's My Woman'? – not for long. 2/5
JL
Lost Prophets – Where We Belong
Sony
Lost Prophets have never hidden from their desire for mainstream success but there is something about 'Where we Belong' that seems quite contradictory. It is apparently referring to their roots in Wales but having seen them play there recently, something doesn't quite add up. You see, the enjoyable thing about watching them then was that they were able to step back and appreciate the gritty even grimey aspects of where they came from and seemed to be enjoying poking fun at themselves, but this track has 'LA studio time' written all over it...definitely not Newport, Wales.
A bit disappointing really but for die hard Proph fans I'm sure it will do. 2/5
AG
Mi Ami – Cut Men
Thrill Jockey
Cut Men is too long and about ten decibels too high pitched to bear. Singer Daniel Martin-McCormick's castrato-esque, angsty, ear-piercing screams ruin the fun, jingly cow bells and drums and after all the build up, by the time the guitars finally kick in, all promise of an epic moment is dashed.
The weird, futurist sounds at the end just add to the jarring combination of noises already in the mix. Overall good cow bells but horrible singing. 2/5
LR
Fyfe Dangerfield – She Needs Me
Polydor
Despite a couple of decent singles, after listening to a full Guillemots album there was always a feeling that behind all the eclecticism, key changes and swirling experimentalism, they were just masking some fairly mediocre tunes.
Little surprise then, that their lion-headed frontman should encounter similar problems in his solo endeavours. This is ELO for the Skins generation – which should be a good thing – but for all the bluster, this is as weak and forgettable as a Dom Haley cup of tea. 1.5/5
MF
Othello Woolf – Stand
Young and Lost Club
Yeah, there's swagger of Roxy Music or Bowie circa Station to Station, but aside from crisp production - mixed I'll give credit, by Chris Moore at Dave Sitek's studio - what the hell is it adding to make this new music?
It's just regurgitation emphasised with digitally adept evolution. It's empty, tired, and it gets even more annoying with a phonically ill-fitting middle 8. Cripes, even his name is literary regurgitation...that might be accidental, but I couldn't care less. 1.5/5
PW
Honorebel feat. Pitbull and Jump Smokers - Now You See It
Ultra Records
In the middle of the last decade an unholy alliance was made on the sun-beds of a lavish beach resort somewhere in St Barts. Present at this masonic pact were a number of Reggaeton stars, Akon, and David Guetta.
Heavily commercial 'urban' music, heavy on the auto-tune, sexism, electro bleeps and bloops, and the moronic hook was their business however it was also similarly light on quality, meaning and substance. I guarantee that this song will be huge but let's be honest it's all utter piffle and we only have ourselves to blame. 1/5
BG
Rogue Traders – Love is a War
Sony BMG
Anyone remember Rogue Traders? That band who pinched bits from Elvis Costello and The Knack in order to wangle a couple of hits in the early Noughties? Nope? They were fronted by that girl from Neighbours. Oh yeah, that one! They were terrible.
Yes, and now the Neighbours person has quit and they've got more music in the pipeline. New single 'Love is a War' combines the worst of their previous hits with a budget Gwen Stefani/Ashlee Simpson singer and some half-arsed rap midway through. Execrable, I'm afraid. 1/5
A fair bit of vitriol poured over this week's collection of (mainly) mediocre singles by the Spoonfed team. Hardly surprising when this week kicked off with the most depressing day of the year. It's all onwards and upwards from here though people. And if you join our Facebook Group you'll really make us happy.
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