Singles Reviews
Film School - 11:11
Initially, it sounds a little like a cynical medium pretending to channel Joy Division in order to rip off unsuspecting customers. Nonetheless, it’s atmospheric, in a slightly second-hand way. The insistent rhythm section is fairly hypnotic, and the effect is reinforced by the robotic vocals. A record that would probably seem much better if it was released during the autumn, it’s redolent of rain, damp streets, and slight colds.
Boy Kill Boy - Suzie
Boy Kill Boy return with a track that’s more catchy than avian flu. Somewhat inevitably, Ritalin-deprived New Zealander Zane Lowe has named it his Hottest Track in The World Today. He’s not too far wrong either: the vocals flirt with notes in a Morrissey-esque manner, never quite touching, and the band provide a thrillingly danceable backing. A bit short on instrumentation, but just about the best thing around this week.
Breaks Co-op - The Otherside
Talking of Zane Lowe, here’s his band’s single. It’s just about as far from expectations as it could go. It’s got that Jack Johnson ethically-concious-surfer vibe, the sort of thing that cubicle workers can play on their way to work to reassure themselves that they are different from their colleagues. The harmonies are pretty, but it’s a little vacuous.
Corinne Bailey-Rae - Trouble Sleeping
Nowhere near as good as the not-too-bad-really ‘Put Your Records On’, ‘Trouble Sleeping’ is a pleasant enough song, but it drowns under the waves of faux-jazz brass and loungey noises. The instrumental B-side could well be the last thing you hear after an automated voice says ‘please hold’ and you disappear into a phone queue.
The Spinto Band - Did I Tell You
Vaguely reminiscient of Britpop, this single has probably been released a month or two early. Like Supergrass, it’s clearly a song for the summer, and like them, it doesn’t quite make sense at any other time of year.
Hot Chip - Boy From School
A really bizarre song, it sounds like the result of an evil-minded DJ’s remix of two totally unsuited songs. The vocals are technically proficient, but clash horribly with the repetitive, sub-Daft Punk beats.
Singles were reviewed by Emma Fite-Wassilak, James Morgan and Robin Seaton.
