04 June 2008
Dave Evans
Spiritualized, Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks, Elbow, Guillemots, The Kooks, The Rascals, Joan As Police Woman, The Notwist, Out Of The Afternoon, Fear Of Music, Cryptic, Popular Computer, The Exits, Rosabella Gregory
"Jason Spaceman returns from the brink of exhausting what we have left of an NHS. He’s been, almost, to the other side. He’s had a look so we don’t have to."
Spiritualized – Soul On FireJason Spaceman returns from the brink of exhausting what we have left of an NHS. He’s been, almost, to the other side. He’s had a look so we don’t have to and he’s here to tell us all about it. All the familiar Spiritualized tropes are here - mournful vocals, rousing orchestration, gospel backing vocals, lyrics that could be about drugs or could be about love (probably drugs though). Nothing’s changed much really. But then nothing much was broken so nothing much needed fixing, if you’ll excuse the pun.
Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Gardenia
Being the poster boy of 90’s lo-fi indie has left Malkmus comfortable but struggling to interest people in his solo stuff. ‘Gardenia’ is a jaunty breezy number and there’s nothing wrong with it all. The female backing vocals add a summery sheen but there isn’t anything here to stop him getting asked the inevitable questions about possible Pavement reunions.
Elbow – One Day Like This
Guy Garveys lot get all the critical acclaim but little of the sales. Last single ‘Grounds For Divorce’ deserved a bigger slice of the pie. Despite the lush strings and Garveys bittersweet vocals and lyrics, this sadly does not.
Guillemots – Falling Out Of Reach
About as edgy as a beachball this is the sort of stuff your mum might find a bit bland. It sounds like an out take from a Guilty Pleasures compulation. All nicely played and well sung but lacking any real emotion. There’s a picture of Sir Ian McKellen on the cover but little else to explain why this band have become so huge. Michael Parkinson wouldn’t be offended.
The Kooks – Shine On
Loved by thousands, hated by millions. I don’t know if it’s just residual loathing of the fact that public schoolboys are taking over the country again (cf David Cameron, Boris Johnson) or just the fact The Kooks are a bit dreary but they seem to cause more opprobrium than other equally worthy contenders. Moderately inoffensive landfill indie. A bit dull but no more so than The Guillemots. Prince William probably has it on his iPod.
The Rascals – Freakbeat Phantom
The thing that seemed to go unmentioned about Miles Kane’s Rascals is that they sound very much like The Arctic Monkeys (a less punk, more psych Wirral version). So when Kane teamed up with Alex Turner to form The Last Shadow Puppets the end result was quite predicatble. As is this. If you like any combination of the above bands you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t there’s nothing here for you.
Joan As Police Woman – To Be Loved
Amongst all these indie boys with guitars this stands out. Not so much like a sore thumb but like a slender graceful finger with a pretty ring on it stuck on an entire hand of sore thumbs! It’s not a vintage week for singles but this is the pick of the bunch just for daring to be different.
The Notwist – Where In This World
So much for German efficiency. It has taken The Notwist six years to release anything following the superb 'Neon Golden' album. They still sound like a teutonic Radiohead support band with Stuart Murdoch on vocals. And that’s still very much a good thing despite this sounding like an offcut from 'Neon Golden'.
Out Of The Afternoon – I Won’t Forget You
More indie-pop but the funky woodwind, the catchy tune (as you’d expect from an outfit who cite Dexys & The Beach Boys as influences) and the vocals put this in a class above a lot of the more well known names on this page. Runner up to Joan As Police Woman.
Fear Of Music – First To Go
Fear Of Music took their name from a Talking Heads album, formed as school friends in Manchester and ‘are out to give British rock its soul and spirit back’. The music is as uninspired as the press release.
Cryptic – Pin Me Down
Electronic flourishes, female vocals, a bit 80’s sounding. But essentially more of the same. Uptempo indie seemingly aimed at selling mobile phones to bored teenagers.
Popular Computer – Lost And Found
Sylvain Dalido (for he alone is Popular Computer) at least has the sense to use his electronics to make us want to dance a bit. But then he’s French – and they’ve been good at this Gallic disco shrugging for years now. This won’t have Justice or Daft Punk quaking in their heels but passes the time pleasantly enough.
The Exits – Neon City
Spiky electro infused punky pop with attitude. What that means is that sounds like an updated Jesus Jones with a sneering brat of a singer. Not very interesting really.
Rosabella Gregory – Still
Bottom of the pile for a reason. Sub-Beverly Craven piano balladry. Boring time expanding drivel of the highest water. Wishy-washy sixth form lyrics and an utterly lame grasp of politics. Total waste of time.
Comments
Other Singles...
Elsewhere On The Site
NEW NOISES
- The Bookhouse Boys
- The Gaslight Anthem
- Phantom Limb
- Makeout Party
- We Are The Ocean
- Ten Kens
- Black Lungs
- Vessels
NEW ALBUMS
- Nadja - Skin Turns To Glass
- Nuggets - 8 September 2008
- AIDS Wolf - Cities Of Glass
- Calexico - Carried To Dust
- Holy Ghost Revival - Twilight Exit
- Manda Rin - My DNA
- Monkey - Journey To the West
- The Peth - The Golden Mile
LIVE
- Iggy and the Stooges - 24 Aug 2008
- Rapturefest 2 - 9 Aug 2008
- The Dodos - 12 Aug 2008
- of Montreal - 9 Aug 2008
- The Brute Chorus - 14 Jul 2008
- British Sea Power @ Latitude - 18 Jul 2008
- Joanna Newsom @ Latitude - 20 Jul 2008
- Interpol - 8 Jul 2008