This week we've got some hard-drinking rock from Leeds, some insane electronica from Paris via London and some ska-pop from the mid-'90s.
Eagulls – EP
Sexbeat
EAGULLS - Coffin by Sexbeat London
If, like me, you hang out with indie kids all the time, then you might have heard about this band called Holograms from Sweden, who make a kind of Joy Division meets oi! Sound and sing oddly nationalistic songs about heavy drinking.
With all this talk, it’s been easy to forget that we in Britain have this band called Eagulls who have been perfecting the whole rabble-rousing piss head thing for a couple of years now. This EP on Sexbeat is a timely reminder of their brilliance. It reminds me of Jawbreaker, Cockney Rejects and Thin Lizzy in places and the last song ‘Still Born’ has to have the best end riff of any song released so far in 2012. Who needs Scandinavians, hey? 4.5/5
Archive - Wiped Out
Dangervisit
This starts well. Really well in fact. The tension is unbearable, but I'm dreading the inevitable “boom boom bom bom” drum crash which usually signals the beginning of a pseudo-emotional Scrpit style 'anthem' (and also the start of Eastenders). But guess what – it never comes. In fact, it goes down a far darker, more experimental route and comes out all the better for it.
People talk about songs being 'atmospheric' a lot these days (for the purpose of this review they do, OK?) but this brilliantly sums up what building a soundscape is all about. Uneven, emotive and raw. Excellent work. 4/5
No Doubt - Settle Down
Interscope
No Doubt "Settle Down" (Radio Edit) by igapromotion
It would have been so easy for No Doubt to come back sounding like every other Guetta produced chart nonsense act out there and cash in on the big bucks, but they've stood their ground and proved their worth.
It's far from the best thing No Doubt have ever done, very far in fact, but you, like me, will probably still like it, such is the ever-charming combination of Stefani's irreverent vocal and that trademark ska bounce. Still not quite good enough to warrant a 4 though. 3/5
Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough
Warner
Fair play to Lianne La Havas, she’s clearly a very talented musician, a great singer and really good guitarist, but her music alas is about as challenging as playing 5-year olds at Scrabble. To put it in some context, it’s the kind of music that makes people nod their head a bit and go ‘oh that’s nice’.
A sure contender for Radio 2’s song of the week, as my man Marcus used to say, this is music for people who don’t really like music. 2/5
Bastille – Bad Blood
Virgin Records
So i’ve listened to this new Bastille track five times now, and the only conclusion I can make is that it’s basically an Ultravox song with a veneer of Metronomy on it. That and it’s also kind of dull. 1/5
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