New Releases - 29 Sept

New Releases - 29 Sept

24 September, 2008
by: Music Team

*Single (Review) of the Week*
Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning
Big Brother

'Aright our Liam lad, what you fink of this then? New track for that album. It's bloody ace – just kinda came teh me. It's like the Roses, kid, like the Bea'les, but like dead heavy, dead fookin' up fer it. Just you gotta do some of that fookin' whiney shite over top right?'

'What about like "Loov ees a tiiime macheeeeene"? Them's grand words in't they?'

'Yeah Liam, but what's it mean?'

'Dunno. Don't really mean owt.'

'It's bloody drivel kid, bloody drivel. Fans'll fookin' AVE IT.' TJ


Funeral For A Friend – Kicking and Screaming
Join Us Records

This track is about age; and erstwhile Welsh emo heroes FFAF have grown up. This is a competent radio rock song (perfect for a studying montage in Smallville) with a kick drum, heavy bass and strong vocals. Compared to their old stuff it sucks.

Emo becomes chord rock. No screeching, no mess, and no passion. The lyrics defy age but the band is too mature to kick or scream. Instead they'll tick MTV's boxes while concentrating on their marriages. JH


MIA – Paper Planes
XL

Brilliant! It's The Clash's 'Straight to Hell'! I've not heard this for a while, it's definitely the best song from... Oh hold on, it's just a sample. Balls.

Then again, this tune is alright. The gunshot/cash register chorus is pants, and the spoken word bit – 'Third world democracy/I've got more records than the KGB' – is delivered with all the conviction of a jumped-up 'philosopher' on the bus back to Wandsworth from boarding school. Still, it's ok. Now where's my copy of 'Combat Rock'? MF


Towers of London – Naked on the Dancefloor
Vibrant

Hang on, weren't these guys supposed to be the second coming of GnR? Why are they sounding more like the return of Primal Scream? Have I missed something?

Not only does 'Naked on the Dancefloor' look and feel like a rehash of 'Cigarettes and Alcohol', but Donny Tourrette has even started dressing like Liam Gallagher circa 'What's the Story? (Morning Glory)'. And I remember when a rock star had to be at least comatosed before you ripped them off. DH


Crystal Castles – Crimewave
Last Gang

A remix of LA noise rockers Health by 8-bit duo Crystal Castles. This kind of vocoder-voiced, retro-electronica is CC's trademark and renders the original virtually unrecognizable (thankfully). Health singer Jacob Duzsik's vocals are cleaved into alien oblivion and spliced with the sweet voice of CC singer Alice Glass.

It's not as interesting as some of their other stuff, but has a pleasing New Order quality to it and kind of creeps around you nodding until you realise it's not a bad tune. LC


Sara Bareilles – Bottle It Up
Columbia

Hoping Sara had escaped that enduring and commercially-bound word 'love' pivotal in her first top 100, only the sense of apathetic boredom is raised by her latest release 'Bottle It Up'.

Like a piece of yesterday's newspaper used to prop up a wonky table, 'Bottle It Up' will soon be forgotten in the minds of even her fans. The lyrics are stolen from children's bedtime stories and annoying catch phrases. We get it – you're sick of him. Love sells but disinterests this hardened Londoner right now. SO


Bjork – Dull Flame Of Desire
One Little Indian

Previously, Bjork has chosen musicians like Thom Yorke and Sigur Ros to duet with and this latest collaboration with Anthony Hegarty is another mark of her exceptional taste. The track is slightly disappointing considering the stars on it; the vocals are haunting and powerful but the tune isn't strong enough to carry them and never quite takes off.

It's not all bad – she commissioned Modeselektor to remix the single and the cheeky mites made two versions, both very different and very good. EM


Roll Deep – Do Me Wrong
Roll Deep Recordings

A question: Exactly how deep do Roll Deep roll? The answer: pretty darned deep. But perhaps it's not quite deep enough, because for 'Do Me Wrong' they've enlisted the bland Kylie/Madge vocals of Janee.

Janee claims to have some diesel in her truck and as a consequence she is 'ready to roll'. She also, apparently, has some dollars in her purse, which is odd because as far as I can recall nobody accepts dollars in Hackney, not even in the KFC. You'd think Skepta could have told her, the poor lass. TJ


Boyzone – Love You Anyway
Polydor

Boyzone are a bit like motorway service men. On almost every song in recent memory a couple of them do the singing (usually Ronan and Steven Gately) whilst the rest just stand around and watch them get on with it.

'Love You Anyway' is the group's first single in a eight years and it's so painfully Motor City it actually hurts. In effect this song is simply a vehicle for Ronan to do his whole Al Green meets Rick Astley thing, whilst the rest prance around in sharp suits like footballers on a court date. Come on Louie – you could at least try. DH


Those Dancing Days – Home Sweet Home
Wichita

You've got to love Scandinavian pop groups (unless it's ABBA, in which case you should hate them with a venomous passion) with their drawling vocals and endearingly inane lyrics.

This starts off a bit like The Hives, then takes a trip through The Cure and ends up sounding like a much poppier version of Pink. They don't have the addictive appeal of Robyn or Alphabeat, but you could certainly imagine this soundtracking a teen movie travel montage. MF


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Music Team