Opinions eh? Everybody's got 'em.
Thoughts, expressions… that's what makes the world go round. 'Course, some fool of a teacher may have have given you another, rather more scientific, reason for the globe's orbit but we're going with opinions. Especially opinions about music.
Here are this week's Single related, globe-spinning musings.
Single Of The Week
Beth Jeans Houghton – Dodecahedron
Well we were always going to like this. Beth Jeans Houghton adorned the first Clash cover of 2012 and her debut album ‘Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose’ has been a continual fixture on the office stereo. ‘Dodecahedron’ is a nice place for newcomers to start – packed to the brim with eccentricity, it’s stirring, sweeping stuff. If we were anywhere near the moors (any moors, not just Yorkshire) we’d go stomping along the moss with this blaring out on our iPod. No one would hear us, of course, because we’d have our headphones in. Plus it’s the moors. No one's about.
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…and the rest.
Adele – Skyfall
Adele was almost tailor made for Bond. In fact, the Tottenham singer might as well transport herself to a Las Vegas nightclub circa ’68 and change her name to Shirley Bassey. ‘Skyfall’ is exactly as you would expect it: strings that sweep, percussion which leers full of drama and Adele’s bloody great voice spilling all over the shop. It’ll hit number one, obvs.
Deaf Club – Break It Slow
Critical types often drone on about bands being ‘on their radar’. It’s a meaningless phrase, chucked out by hacked off hacks chained to laptops on Friday evenings. If Deaf Club really were on our radar, though, ‘Break It Slow’ would be a ruddy great dot beeping above their target. Probably the most impressive studio clip the band have yet put their name to, it’s all glistening guitars, skittering drums and beautifully Gothic vocals. Managing to fully realise the promise of their live show, ‘Break It Slow’ has us very excited indeed. More please.
Download it HERE.
Angel Haze – New York
Angel Haze you do charm us so. A Ones To Watch fave rave in the current issue of Clash, ‘New York’ kinda sums up everything which entices the team. Slinky, expertly executed pop music it’s an ode to the Big Apple which makes us want to pack our bags and head towards the Empire State Building.
Keane – Disconnected
Unfairly maligned due to their place on David Cameron’s iPod, Keane actually make a decent case for Pleasant Music. That said, ‘Disconnected’ is virtually everything their detractors would hold against them: overly polite, pulling their punches the songwriting is so beige is might as well be draped across a couch in Ikea. A unit shifter, then, but not in our house.
Best Coast – Do You Love Me Like You Used To?
For some reason Best Coast’s second album took a critical mauling earlier this year. For the life of me, I can’t see why – after all, it was essentially their debut LP with a bit of spit ‘n’ polish, right? ‘Do You Love Me Like You Used To?’ will only serve to enrage the critics even more, with Bethany Cosentino’s pining voice fluttering over guitars that would fall apart were it not for the layers of reverb holding them together. Far from challenging fare, but then, hardly harsh on the ears either.