All of next week's single offerings casually assessed and flippantly rated by the Spoonfed Team – a bit like Friday night down at the local boozer, then.
Electric Pacific – Ghost
Unsigned
My personality is wildly addictive. Once something gets under my skin I’m helpless – I just can’t get enough. New electro-pop duo Electric Pacific have done just that – so I've been gorging on this single’s catchy, glossy hook and solid beat like a shameless, shaky popaholic.
Absolutely awesome isn’t overstating it. The vocalist has that soaring, electric quality which raises the hairs on your neck, draws you in with mesmerising, neon-bright luminescence and leaves you wanting more more more. 4.5/5
LC
Allo Darlin' feat. Monster Bobby – Dreaming
WeePop/Fortuna Pop
Monster Bobby is no monster, he's a sweetheart with a sage voice that lends a despondent chord to the male-female back 'n' forth of this hopeful, romantic surf pop.
And here comes this shameful critic's descent into a litany of comparisons all arguably unworthy of this stellar ukelele-loving lot: starts with a Magic Numbers-esque upbeat tempo, definitely smacks of Belle and Sebastian, has that Nouvelle Vague 'vibe', and conjures images of She & Him type frilly frocks, long necklaces and muted but charming colours. Splendid. 4/5
NK
Plan B – She Said
679 Recordings
I saw Plan B at a festival once and boy, he scared the crap out of me – one of those really really angry people you steer well clear of in William Hill. Well, now he's bought a suit and got someone to do a bit of a Mark Ronson on him, and hey presto, he's getting kinda popular.
He does a bit of singing, a bit of rapping, there's some finger clicking, some brass and a few strings. It's all rather good actually. Add in a cool courtroom video featuring that girl from Skins and Plan B is pretty much sorted. 3.5/5
TJ
Pablo – Turn The Page
Soma
Pablo's the guy behind – amongst other things – that killer G-funk tune that features in GTA: San Andreas everytime you complete a mission.
'Turn The Page' is a great laid back hip hop beat with a nice vibe, but he's covered it in samples from old American T.V... YAWN! This has been done and done much better. What makes this most disappointing is that he's clearly capable of so much more, as evidenced by 'The Story of Sampling' from the same album. 3/5
TO
Ash – War With Me
Atomic Heart
Depending on your school of thought, Downpatrick golden sons Ash haven’t had a good tune since skinny-jeaned wet dream Charlotte Hatherley left; or indeed since she joined, all the way back in 1997.
Regardless, the boys’ attempts to stay ‘fresh’ – displayed most recently through their A-Z singles collection noteworthy only for its excruciating inconsequence – are admirable enough, but apparently marketing innovation is neither the father of success, nor the bedfellow of critical kudos. Especially when your songs trudge along with the kind of chugging earnestness which was charming at 18, but seems increasingly disingenuous at 33. Oh for the carefree heartbreak of youth… 3/5
JL
Pete and the Pirates – Jennifer
Stolen Recordings
Taken from the Reading five-piece's forthcoming studio album, this track is catchy and fun at best, a little forgettable at worst.
Typical foot-tapping indie guitar chords, self-consciously quirky harmonies and handclaps – you know the drill. There's a little Wombats-style offbeat-ness to their lyrics which is quite enjoyable, but really, where did the Wombats ever go after festival season 2008? Exactly. File this under “songs to do the 'high-fiving the dwarves' dance to on indie night at Madam Jojo's”. 2/5
SK
Scouting For Girls – This Ain't A Love Song
Epic Records
In December of 2007, I found myself at a Scouting for Girls concert. It was horrendous. I was the oldest person in the room by about 10 years and found myself unsure of how to move. Do I jump up and down tearing at my hair and pretending to enjoy songs entitled ‘I Wish I was James Bond’ and ‘She’s So Lovely’, or rapidly skull vodka and get jostled?
Admittedly, this track is one of their better ones but Roy Stride’s voice will forever remind me of the night indie-pop made me vomit. 2/5
EM
Inna – Hot
Burn Recordings
In Turkey this summer we went to a bar where the body-builder/sex-pest barmen took their tops off and danced on the bar to terrible dance music, flexing their muscles by doing lifts from the pipes running along the ceiling. This track would go down a storm there.
It sounds a bit like an Eastern European Eurovision Song Contest entry, and that's never a good thing in my book. Pretty standard, repetitive dance beat in the background which slows down for a hyped up atmospheric bit in the middle. The lyrics don't make sense either – "fly like you do it, like you try like you do it, like a woman". Ummm. It's kind of funny and a tad catchy but not really my kind of thing. 2/5
LR
Alex Gardner – I'm Not Mad
Polydor
I have to be honest, I'm not sure what Alex Gardner and his management are going for with new single 'Im Not Mad'. In theory, it's an alright song, perhaps a tad forgettable, but still not bad because he can obviously sing. It's clearly well produced but somehow floats in one ear and out the other.
Surely he should be hitting the pop scene - especially seeing as he looks like a young Robert Pattinson and would definitely appeal to the thousands of young girls that buy that sort of music? In a way I respect for him for giving some credible-ish music a try, but whether he'll make it or not, I don't know. I wish him luck nonetheless! 2/5
AG
The Drums – Best Friend
Moshi Moshi
The content is not as happy as the melodies may suggest – see lyric "you’re my best friend, but then you died" – but frankly, the track's that annoying by about a minute in I’m left coldly uncaring; by two minutes I’ve lost interest in even being annoyed.
If you are stirred to watch the video you'll be faced with vocalist Pierce attempting ‘kitsch’ dancing. There was a reason David Byrne left this in the '80s. The best thing about the experience is that even the band get bored, pack up their instruments and leave the singer with a consoling pat on the back. 1.5/5
RM
Joan Armatrading – This Charming Life
Hypertension
So, did anyone else hear that it was cool to hang out in a New York loft conversion? Joan Armatrading sure did as she hangs out in one for her new video to ‘This Charming Life’. Give it a rest with the camera spinning love – you’re making us dizzy!
Also how annoying are the cheesy lyrics? "I live and love with you this charming life" gets a bit irritating second time over let alone the tenth. And what’s the deal with her sounding like Bowie at around 1:45? This will not be appearing on my Spotify playlist anytime soon. 1/5
SRC
This week's singles were brought to you via cruel and unusual Live Music Editorial punishment. I need a coffee...
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