January is indulging us in more treats than a divorced father currying favour with his children. Five singles ranging from outstanding to interesting, and numerous exciting album releases yet to come. For now, here’s the singles.
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*Single Of The Week*
These New Puritans – We Want War
Right you Puritans, time for the first big single from your highly anticipated sophomore album. How about we go with one of these nicely packaged 3 minute numbers eh? That’ll be nice. No? What’s that? You wish to release the 7.23 minute mammoth entitled ‘We Want War’? I see. In reality this could’ve backfired worse than Jacqui Smith’s husband’s blue video rentals. Fortunately, each minute is as absorbing as the other, with the Southend quartet working battle drums and cries into a flourishing electronic epic of numerous peaks and a humbling climax (perhaps some similarities to the video rentals). Many are hailing this rebirth as 2010’s equivalent of The Horror’s 09′ reinvention. And it will be. Honest.
Good Shoes – Under Control
Yet another marvellous return to form for a promising band on their second LP. Poor old Good Shoes are still disguising their lyrical emotion beneath a cloak of angular melodies, but where debut album tracks ‘Morden’ and ‘Ice Age’ covered their urban misery with the playful exuberance of youth, ‘Under Control’ is much less restrained. As lead singer Rhys Jones waxes “The more I want, the less I feel it / The more I get, the less I need it’” narrating the view from the driving seat of a relationship, with the brutally honest monologues of a detached lover. On a brighter note, the single is free for download from the Good Shoes site, right here: http://www.goodshoes.co.uk.
Jay-Z & Mr Hudson – Young Forever
Those with a penchant for 80’s euro-pop and a private appreciation for Mr Hudson will be moist at the loins for this one. There is something about Mr Hudson that is remarkably likeable. Perhaps it’s his striking bleached appearance, or more, his charitable personality. To do songs with hip-hop luminaries like Kanye West and Jay-Z, yet still have time, on a Sunday afternoon perhaps, to delve into the bowels of music and help out N-Dubz when they needed a voice that was able to hold a note. Like when famous footballers do ‘help in the community’ sessions. On face value, this single is relatively enjoyable with Mr H making light work of Alphaville’s 1984 original, before Jay-Z chimes in with something about nice wine, being a million years old and pretty girls in the ‘hood. I couldn’t keep up.
Yeasayer – Ambling Alp
Opening in an array of sound bites and distorted melody, ‘Ambling Alp’ bursts into an infectious psychedelic pop nugget, intensified by the inimitable vocals of Chris Keating. It’s second LP time for these boys too, so along with These New Puritans and Good Shoes, 2010 is already pregnant with potentially year-defining albums.
Yeasayer “Ambling Alp” from Team G on Vimeo.
Plan B – Stay Too Long
After ‘Pieces’ and ‘End Credits’, I started to get used to Plan B singing. That whole angered youth thing. So what’s this? Plan B crooning over a rapid pop rhythm like Stratford’s Little Richard, answering an apparent cry for more original r&b/rock ‘n roll crossover? Somehow, it works. And for those thinking he’s gone all soft, he concludes with an aggressive final verse. Swear words and everything! Plan B does look a little out of place in the video though, strolling into a respectable looking jazz club with a silver chain and a crew cut.
