|
|
SINGLE OF THE MONTH!
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - "Hello Sunshine"
Well, let's be honest, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to give this little beaut single of the month. Three reasons why "Hello Sunshine" rules - (i) the fact that it so obviously doesn't sound like a single at all, (ii) the lovely "siren from the sea" style intro with a girl singing the words "it's so hard to say goodbye" over some lovely echoey acoustic guitar (iii) the fact that when the song finally does start, it sounds like some brilliant cross-breeding experiment between Elbow and the White Stripes. Let the sunshine into your life now and make sure this is the hit it deserves to be. (5/5)
THE REST
Hmm, if there's a continuing theme in this month's singles, it seems to be bands who can do better foisting mediocrity upon us. What other reason could there be for Blur unleashing the bloopy electronica of "Good Song" (3/5) which does at least have something resembling a tune behind it, Suede treading water yet again with the "hold on, this is exactly the same stuff you were trying to sell us in 1996!" cry-inducing "Attitude" (3/5) and the Strokes deciding that the best way to announce a new album is to unleast two unlistenable minutes of lo-fi electronica unambition that is "12:51" (2/5) which, unless you're an NME journalist and therefore bound under oath to give it good press, isn't really worth bothering with.
Considering they hardly get any press in the aforementioned mag for whatever reason (not "cool" enough we can only assume), we'd have expected better of Easyworld but their new single "2nd Amendment" (3/5) sounds decidedly ordinary compared to some of the brilliance they foisted on us last year. Fingers crossed it's just a bad single choice. On a similar sort of tip, the Coral's "Secret Kiss" (4/5) goes the opposite way by being one of the better offerings from the recent "Magic And Medicine" album (albeit not quite as good the fantastic "Pass It On"). Worth a flutter if you've nowt else to do.
Staying in the indie circuit for a few minutes, Elbow's "Fugitive Motel" (3/5) isn't exactly an obvious single choice but this dreamy piano-led slice of Spiritualized-esque brooding has its charm. Which is more than can be said for "hotly tipped newcomers" (copyright Fierce Panda) Keane whose woeful "This Is The Last Time" (2/5) shows them to be yet another no-ideas bunch of Coldplay-aping indie wusses. Which could also be said about perennial never-weres Longview and their new single "Can't Explain" (2/5). Both to be avoided.
But if you really wanna indulge in some aural torture this month, try Kosheen's "Wasting My Time" (1/5) which sounds like some horrible cross between Republica and Shania Twain and Goldfrapp's "Twist" (1/5) which is an utterly charmless slice of trip-hop which passed its sell-by date some time around 1999. Eugh.
A few pop singles appear to have landed on the desk this month so in the interest of wrapping things up neatly, let's deal with 'em as quickly as possible. Holly Valance's "State Of Mind" (2/5) sounds like Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Mogadon, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Mixed Up World" (3/5) sounds like...erm, Sophie Ellis-Bextor NOT on Mogadon and will probably be filling up the dancefloor at your local beach-themed provincial niteclub as we speak as will Liberty X's "Jumpin'" (3/5) which should make your night that little bit more bearable should you find yourself dragged off to such an establishment. All that can be said for Pink's newie "Trouble" (2/5) meanwhile is that it isn't really as good as her last one "Real Good Time" while Sugababes' "Hole In The Head" (2/5) is the sound of a girl band running out of ideas (and memorable tunes) very very fast. Ah well...
Turning our attention to the "US multi-million sellers" corner, REM return with the not entirely unpleasant "Bad Day" (3/5) which is essentially "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" part 2 and therefore A Good Thing. But why the normally excellent Jane's Addiction have chosen to release the weakest track off their "Strays" album "True Nature" (2/5) as the new single is something of a mystery. 'Specially when they could've put out "Everybody's Friend" instead. As for "poor man's Queens of the Stone Age" types Kings Of Leon, someone really should tell 'em that putting out a single with a title like "Wasted Time" (2/5) is pretty much an invitation to have "all you need to know about three minutes spent listening to this single is in the title" slung back at you as a review. And the same goes for sub-Coldplay moaners Cablecar for their "Wasting Time" (2/5) single as well. Some people never learn, eh? Similarly, the Warlocks' "Baby Blue" (2/5) is so laid back and half-arsed they could've bottled and sold it as Valium. And it features sitars which were clearly outlawed during the Great Kula Shaker Cull of 2000 causing it to lose a mark.
Back out in the psychedelic fields, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci return with "Mow The Lawn" (3/5) which is nice enough but a poor match for the barely-suppressed seething fury of their dark twins British Sea Power's "Remember Me" (4/5). D'oh, talk about bad release timing there. Similarly, Electrelane's "On Parade" (3/5) is a vaguely captivating if somewhat inconsequential four minutes of Moog-heavy instrumentalism. 'Salright.
Heading over into emo corner, Alkaline Trio return with the moody "All On Black" (3/5) which anyone who has any interest in this lot will almost certainly already own on the "Good Mourning" album by now anyway but still, reasonable enough. Better, certainly, than the ultra-meandering likes of Thrice's "All That's Left" (2/5), Stapleton's "Chez Chef" (2/5) and Thursday's "Signals Over The Air" (2/5) both of which suggest bands who are in desperate need of a good mixed grill at the local steak house frankly. Then they might sound a bit more like Funeral For A Friend whose "She Drove Me To Daytime Television" (4/5) sounds like it should be some terrible sub-Violent Delight exercise in comedy ska-punk but is actually a seething wrecking ball of smalltown angst. Good call.
If you really must indulge your ska-punk taste this month, perennial second division Britskapunk types Capdown have a new single out called "New Revolutionaries" (2/5) which is a political call to arms featuring...erm, a sax solo. Good intentions yes but inevitably it doesn't quite work. Shame. A better bet would be for you to check out SammyUSA's "Doorway Of A Dancehall" (4/5) which sounds like an ultra-evil version of first album Supergrass and is rather good. Ditto the Kills' rather good slice of psychobilly "Pull A U" (3/5) which is a much-welcomed step forward from their previous White Stripes by numbers schtick.
Mopping up what's left - Eastern Lane's "Feed Your Addiction" (3/5) is an okay-ish slice of post-Stripes blooz-new wave which looks unlikely to do much. Better is Chikinki's "Assassinator 13" (4/5) which sounds like the Cooper Temple Clause covering "Richard III" by Supergrass and is a bit ace. And finally, our champions of some six months back the Rain Band find themselves going back to their Fierce Panda roots with the "I don't care if they were dropped, this is still good" dark vibes of "Fists Of Fury" (4/5). Ah well, one of these days we'll get it right when championing a band. Possibly.
All singles reviewed by Andy James
