New Releases - 8th December

New Releases - 8th December

03 December, 2008
by: Music Team

*Single of the week*
La Roux – Quicksand
Kitsune

Picking up where Patrick Wolf left off, La Roux makes ballsy electro-thrillers that are clean and crisp, matching her fierce vocals to a colourful backdrop of synths and bass.

A slight departure from the twisting vocal displays she has showcased elsewhere, 'Quicksand' dances around a sequence lifted from Prince's 'When Doves Cry', with La Roux inching her range up to its tippy-toes amid a chorus of emphatic 'oohhs'. A song about uncontrollable desire; it pulses with dark promise. LS

exlovers – Just a Silhouette
Chess Club

A sort of nice warm, cheery ditty that's very much in the same vein as Lightspeed Champion and Elliott Smith, exlovers first single 'Just a Silhouette' is the sort of hopelessly cute throw-away pop song that can't help but put a smile on your face.

Best of all at 2 minutes 36 seconds, it's wise enough to end before descending into the horrible, uncomfortable tweeness of your average Magic Numbers song. Certainly not a classic, but as debut singles go, this isn't half bad. DH

Datarock – Computer Camp Love
Nettwerk

This is such a wicked track.  A friend introduced me to it a year ago and I still love it. A pastiche of Revenge of the Nerds and Grease's 'Summer Nights', the tune is infectiously good with a toe-tapping baseline and nostalgic lyrics like: "I ran into her on computer camp/ Was 1984?/Not sure I had my Commodore 64, had to score." 

Ah, the Commodore 64 or 'C64GS' as I used to call it.  Where was geek chic in my teens goddamit?! EM

Rose Elinor Dougall – Another Version Of Pop Song
Scarlett Records

Ex-Pippettes vocalist Elinor's solo debut is an ironically titled, lyrically trite tilt at a pop hit with swinging organ and a nice rhythm section. Psychedelic swirls and snare drums give it a retro dance party feel.

Unkind thought – this is like if Kate Nash had a decent voice, but was still a shit-for-brains. But it's much better than that! The production is rich, her voice is great, her organ playing rocks and it's ridiculously summery for a Christmas release – kudos. JH

Status Quo – It's Christmas Time
Fourth Chord

Have Status Quo never done a Christmas tune? Unbelievable. It seems such an obvious pairing. Slippers, gluttony, log fires, The Great Escape... Quo. Well, at last they've done one, and, my lord, it's a cracker.

'It's Christmas Time' has the trademark bouncy Quo bass-line, some hearty Christmas jangle, and lyrics about mistletoe, presents, wine and snow. In short, it has everything you could possibly ever want from a Christmas tune. God bless you Quo, God bless you guys. TJ

Official Secrets Act – So Tomorrow
One Little Indian

Official Secrets Act don't exactly ease you into their debut single 'So Tomorrow'. From the word go the bass drum pedal thumps out a beat, causing the whole record to gallop along in a style reminiscent of Bloc Party.

Not that this is a bad thing – this debut might not be breaking new ground in the music world but it's a good slice of jerky indie power-pop and there ain't nothing wrong with that. GS

Milk Kan – God with an iPod
Blang

A cynic might suggest that by combining two of the world's most ubiquitous commercial brands into one snappy song title, Milk Kan are chasing advertising royalties. 'God with an iPod' is an excruciating ordeal of ponderous beats and cheesy horns, as the vocalist offers his doltish musings on the possible contents of the Heavenly Father's playlist.

The most interesting thing about this record is the sacrilegious proposition that He might be a Carter USM fan, which would at least go some way towards explaining genocide. MH

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump – Lights Out
Trouble Records

Named after an 18th century oil painting, Experiment buck many trends. They don't try to be hot, or kooky, or glam, or cool. They're just plain scary. They play raw, stripped back, grungey post punk.
 
Their quavering, narcotic, underwater sound in 'Lights Out' resembles a young PJ Harvey. And the whole effect of the video is pure Lynch. Three terrifying girls, looking like a slightly altered single model - all scowls and dirt - shot through misted glass. It's an acquired taste. LC

DK7 – Frame of Mind
Output Recordings

OK, so this whole deep house revival has me slightly confused. This is a perfect piece of musical craftsmanship from Trevor Jackson's favourite duo. But handclaps, daft vocals and obvious 'Born Slippy' bass intros all scream 'painting by numbers'.

The stripped breakdown in the middle is brilliant and the track can't be faulted, but it's deliberately '90s, and that's weird. Are there people out there for whom the drugs still work? Or are they just taking more and more until they become simpletons? Scary! JH

James Yorkston – Tortoise Regrets Hare
Domino Records

Opening with some twinkly guitar that flows into warmer oceans of piano and soft bass drum, 'Tortoise Without Hare' is a curious indie/folk hybrid that belies both.

The heady scent of nostalgia is perfectly represented, lyrics going hand-in-hand with a gently swelling rhythm that echoes the Sea's rise and fall. James Yorkston teases his vocals into lilting shapes and his smoky voice wraps around you like a hand-knitted jumper: a song that won't take you dancing, but will keep you warm. LS


If you enjoyed these reviews sign up for our Facebook Group. Also, you may not know this but we're an events site that covers every single event in London. Click to find out What's On.

Music Team