Single reviews

Summer Holiday

U Can Have It All

Better Get

A slightly off-kilter mix of Casio-keyboard drumbeats, rough-edged punky vocals and what appear to be crowds of cheering schoolkids, this is a tough one to review. It boasts a few great moments, but there�s also something jarring about the whole, slightly messy, mix. �U Can Have It All� would probably sound fantastic live, but in the comfort of your own home it�s simultaneously overblown and disconcertingly unpolished. Plus, of course, there�s the unforgivable text-speak of that title. The slowed-down version is an indie-dub joy, though.

Dan Coxon

Rob Sharples

So the Story Goes

Marrakesh

Hailing from Bristol, Rob Sharples finds himself releasing his most recent EP on Marrakesh Records, the brainchild of Lizard King co-owner Dom Hardistry. It must be a match made in heaven, because this music is just lovely. Production and mixing is helmed by Paul Corkett (Bjork, Placebo, Nick Cave) who gently steers picked guitar arpeggios and heart wrenching strings around Sharples’ sensitive yet yearning voice. The northern star of this vessel is undisputedly opening track ‘So the Story Goes’, in which we find Sharples commenting vividly on the industrialisation of his beloved homeland. Third track ‘The Detail Between Us’ is less universal, focusing more on intimate moments between Sharples and his girlfriend. The backing vocals are skeletal, hanging fragile beneath a much stronger amalgamation of guitar and voice. Contrasting to the rest of the EP, ‘Scratching out the Absolute’ begins as a fond homage to Belle and Sebastian and rises to become a feverous folk ditty. For once, the Nick Drake comparisons are justified.

Vicki Cole

Senses Fail

Calling All Cars

Vagrant

Yawn. A poor man�s Green Day, too soft for the heavy metal crowd, too upbeat to be emo. Senses Fail have fired and missed at every target audience with this monstrosity of a record that deserves to be burned more violently than a Jade Goody effigy. It�s about as unique as a wet weekend in Scotland and probably just as welcome. It just reeks of desperation, a record so utterly out of touch listening becomes painful. Everything about this just reeks of a lack of ideas. Avoid.

Paul MacDonald

Starky

Is This How It Ends / Hey Bang Bang

Loog

Do Australia�s customs people have a strict style control over the bands the country exports? In recent years few bands have emerged from down under flaunting anything other than this brand of incredibly dull �new car smell� rock. (The exceptions being maybe The Sleepy Jackson, The Grates and The Vines; but The Grates� singer terrifies me and Craig Nicholls and co. have long since lost their initial vitality.) These are passable tunes, but about as far removed from the car-crash spirit of rock and roll as the genre can get. �Hey Bang Bang� shoots for the same universal emotive mark as �Run�. And it�s a fair effort, but does nothing to stir the soul of this reviewer.

Steve Turkingon

Susy Thomas

Free Myself

Season

Susy Thomas has a pleasant enough voice and Grade 8 guitar (according to the biog), but so far that�s as far as it goes. The song is over-orchestrated, with the result that this just melts to nothingness within a second of ending. Jane Taylor does this much better. Hint: Less Is More, Susy (check your copy of Joni Mitchell�s Blue).

Ed Jupp

The Triffids

Save What You Can

Domino

After reading the press release for this single I was expecting to be blown away by The Triffids music having never heard them before. However,although it was good, it did sound a little like The House of Love at a weaker moment or possibly even a sub standard James track. It was inoffensive, and the singers voice is pleasant on the ear but I didn�t really get overwhelmed by it. There seemed to be more emphasis on the involvement of the artist Steve Keene in the video for the song to promote it�s re-issue. Given the calibre of the artists on this label,I would certainly rank it under disappointing.

John Paul Mason

The Twilight Singers

A Stitch In Time EP

One Little Indian

The Twilight Singers might ooze grizzled surliness, especially now that they�ve borrowed Mark Lanegan�s trademark growl, but this is too polished to sound even half as gritty as they�d like. The EP cover might show us a filthy, cracked sink, the kind of germ-ridden bathroom that Greg Dulli and pals undoubtedly had to make do with earlier in their careers, but now that they�re touring in a gleaming coach, with all mod-cons as standard, it looks far too much like an act. The unlikely Massive Attack cover �Live With Me� is lifted slightly by Lanegan�s studied drawl, but otherwise this all sounds too soft rock to retain a cutting edge. Disappointingly soulless.

Dan Coxon

To My Boy

theGrid

Abeano

To My Boy�s second single has a rather vague, Matrix-lite, concept behind it, with theGrid apparently being �either evil or beautiful�beginning life as a rickety wires, quickly growing heavy girders with the help of a bass machine�. What they are on about, or what their lyrics are muttering about is a mystery. Musically To My Boy are a throwback to classic 80s electronic music, from their faceless image to the vocals, which are a pitch perfect imitation of Thomas Dolby�s warblings. A bit too derivative of their influences to leave their own mark however.

Paul McGarvey

They Don’t Sleep

The Drawing Game

Large and orchestral is the order of the day for They Don�t Sleep and �The Drawing Game� release. All three tracks have a grandiose feel, with lead track �Signature� clocking in at over six minutes and retaining a dark menace throughout.
It may take a while for the vocals to kick in but when they do, they pierce and nag.
An interesting introduction no doubt but whether there is more to come is unsure.

Andy Reilly

Towers of London

TVT

Run to the hills and block up your ears, because Towers of London still refuse to die. Apparently, they’ve even got their own TV show (on Bravo TV) and this is the theme tune. They’ve also supported their heroes, Guns N Roses, by personal request, which just goes to show that Axl Rose is even more mental than we all thought. Listening to this is like watching your flatmate play endless Guitar Hero, but less entertaining. Stupid, dull, humourless cock.

Kate Connolly