Mazes turn Television, Adele turns in some rushed James Bond homework, and Madness finally join the surf pop revolution...
Mazes – Bodies
Fat Cat Records
Mazes - Bodies by Fat Cat Records
So, this was a bit unexpected. When I usually think of Mazes, I think of little two and a half minute indie firecrackers, bursting with energy, so I was more than a little surprised by their new song ‘Bodies’. Clocking in at over six minutes of motorik bass and wirey guitars, it seems to owe more to Television and Sonic Youth than it does to Superchunk.
Definitely a bit a grower, it’s worth sticking with, mainly because Mazes have the song-writing chops to do an about-turn in musical direction and get away with it. Well excited for the new album. 4/5
DH
Madness – My Girl 2
Cooking Vinyl
Madness - My Girl 2 by Cooking Vinyl
Brilliant! For some reason I feel like this should be the theme tune to a '80s tween show about high school kids who leave sex toys in the staff room pigeon-holes. That's the benchmark for all good surf rock, right? Can it adequately set the tone for adolescent trickery? Hells yeah this can. 4/5
NK
Chuck Prophet - Castro Halloween
Yeproc
Chuck Prophet - Castro Halloween by ThatEricAlper
I think this is a thing that happens to all middle-class white men as they get older, but I’m getting more and more into American power rock. Yeah, if you meet me you’d might say to yourself ‘here’s a guy who clearly reads Sartre; he could probably explain Synchrocity to me”, but inside I want to own a Trans-Am, slap girls on the arse for no reason what-so-ever and listen to Tom Petty whilst doing doughnuts in an Asda carpark. And, no, I can’t explain Synchronicty either.
Chuck Prophet knows what I’m on about. The former singer for ‘90s rockers Green on Red, his new one ‘Castro Halloween’ is sound like Warren Zevon with more church bells. It’s also pretty seasonal, although I can’t see it being played at any Halloween parties I might be attending. Shame. 4/5
DH
Adele - Skyfall
XL
Shunning the contemporary twists which gave David Arnold’s recent themes their edge, but failing to reach the levels of melodrama which made the ‘60s themes so memorable, this watered-down Bond-by-numbers tune is largely anti-climatic.
It’s not awful, but bland derivative pop stars make for bland derivative Bond themes - Bassey she ain’t. Hats off to whichever 7 year old won the competition to write the lyrics, I just hope the film is better than this pastiche of the classics. 3/5
TA
Hot Natured & Ali Love - Benediction
Hot Creations
Hot Natured & Ali Love - Benediction [Released 29/10/2012] by Hot Creations
Let’s not forget that Hot Creations gave us the brilliant ‘U Got Me’ and ‘Ruckus’ EPs back in 2010, and for a while really was leading the pack with innovative, top quality music. But honestly….What has happened?
Of course this will be successful, in the same way that the X Factor is successful: on foundations of hype, PR and branding, but you and I know reader, that this is agonizingly average. The painfully clichéd and meaningless lyrics (eg: feel it come my way / each and every day) coupled with Ali Love’s trademark uncomfortably emotive vocals, sadly, make the whole thing almost ‘lol’ worthy.
All I’d suggest, house fans, is to take 15 minutes to dip into what else is out there at the moment. 2/5
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