Summer? Bah humbug.
While for some the coming of sunshine represents a chance to flaunt tanned bodies and ludicrously expensive sunglasses, for others it represents months of sunburn, hay fever and dubious excursions into team sports.
Luckily we’ve got another batch of singles to unite everyone, with newcomers sharing the critical spotlight with some of indie music’s biggest names. Read on to find out who came out on top this week….
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Single of the Week
ExLovers – ‘Photobooth’ / ‘Weightless’
Released via Young & Lost, ‘Photobooth’ is a breezy indie anthem just in time for summer. Recalling the shambling guitars of prime era 4AD, the glacial guitars and whispered vocals hint at something unsettling while the music drifts by in a haze of melody. ‘Weightless’ is cynical, paranoid psychedelia, the vocals intoning “I will let you down again and again” as backwards guitars spasm in the background. The sun is in the sky but ExLovers seem unimpressed, rarely moving their trademark sneer.
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Also out today…
Fangs – ‘Sicko’
A Glasgow group that appeared on some early morning talent search, no doubt the hungover masses were perplexed by Fangs’ bass-heavy fashionista stance. As are we: droning, repetitive and remarkably short of ideas, there’s not a lot in ‘Sicko’ that you can – ahem – get your teeth into.
Fightstar – ‘Mercury’
Having been in Busted, Charlie Simpson is probably tired of people telling him his music is rubbish.
The Hours – ‘A Big Black Hole’
Big epic vocals, soaring guitars and pounding chords on the piano: yep, it’s festival anthem time! With him out of Editors busy changing nappies, The Hours are set to step up to the plate and make fields full of people jump up and down excitedly. Tragically this is all a bit Keane by numbers, but the group is no doubt destined to have their fun in the sun.
Screaming Lights – ‘Phenomena’ / ‘Grandfather Clock’
Sure, they sound like Interpol, but since when did those New Yorkers start reinventing the wheel? Achingly pretentious, to the point where they actually become quite endearing, this is a ferocious one-two from Screaming Lights. ‘Phenomena’ is a dense, paranoid song dominated by sledgehammer guitars, while ‘Grandfather Clock’ finds the band putting the grand back into piano. Unexpectedly exciting.
Loner – ‘I’m Not Sorry’
As keyboard player with The Rakes, Loner has sent his fair share of jerky indie hits shivering right down those skinny jeans. However, when he steps out into the spotlight it seems the singer is a downright melancholic soul, with ‘I’m Not Sorry’ an assured piece of orchestral songwriting. Credit crunch got you down? Loner’s been there, and more. Bummed-out pop for bummed-out people.
Art Brut – ‘Alcoholics Unanimous’
Inexplicably big in Germany, Eddie Argos seems destined to become cult hero here in the UK. Yet more self-deprecating wit backed by a noisy guitar-led racket, this single is much like the last one Art Brut released – and probably sounds not unlike their next one. The group have hit a formula by now: shouty choruses, a breakdown in which he describes his intense doubt over the situation he finds himself in, and then more shouting. Enjoyably daft.
Franz Ferdinand – ‘No You Girls’
After keeping fans waiting for over three years, Franz Ferdinand’s new album seems to have slipped under the radar somewhat. Despite having all the pop nous and arch lyricism – with some added electro freakouts – it seems that time has moved on. However, here in the Clash office we’ll always have a space in our hearts for the tartan quartet, especially when they can produce such stomping, snarling glam-disco as this. Oh, and check out the Vince Clarke remix for some genuine early ‘80s sleaze.
My Tiger My Timing – ‘This Is Not The Fire’
Hotly tipped by those in the know, My Tiger My Timing seem eager to impress, shoehorning elements of indie, post-punk, afrobeat and acid house into one handy three-minute document. Neon day-glo pop, the single skips from pigeonhole to pigeonhole with rare abandon. A little less clever than it seems to think it is, ‘This Is Not The Fire’ contains plenty of ideas but little in the way of an addictive melody – a missed opportunity.
Ghostleigh – ‘Dleep On / Dleep Off’
As dubstep gains more exposure, so producers feel the need to burn the rulebook and demolish some of the genre’s more overly used traits. So Ghostleigh bins the wobble and heads straight off into techno for a dub-infused workout, with the Basic Channel guys nodding in approval. A prime release that joins the twin bass capitals of Hackney and Berlin.
The Monroe Transfer – ‘I Dreamt I Was A Hammer And Everything Was Glass’
A stunning, sumptuous, symphonic ‘single’, ‘I Dreamt…’ is twenty minutes of escapist elegance, underpinned by the truest instrumental drama. Suffice to say it’s the least typical single in this round up, taking a cue or two from the post-rock magnificence of Japan’s Mono but building to the kind of heart-melting crescendos that are solely reserved for the most euphoric of skin-tingling live experiences. Its elements of motif repetition may offer a nod to kraut influences, but this is far grander than any revivalist fodder, pointing to a future where classical facets sit pretty alongside accessible ‘pop’, relatively speaking, superstructures. The release comes with a bonus DVD, too, featuring an animated film. All told, a pretty essential package. Mike Diver
(The Monroe Transfer launch ‘I Dreamt…’ at the Macbeth in London tomorrow night, with Clash DJs in support – DETAILS)
