++SINGLE++ review by Cindy Suzuki
Cindy Suzuki stomps her foot on the gas and speeds us through this weeks singles. Incidentally, if you dig her choice of Single of the Week, you might wanna move your ass down to Artrocker London on Tuesday...
SINGLE OF THE WEEK: OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT / VICTORIA (WEEKENDER)
By throwing epic '60s pop and artrock into the same blender, Thomas Charge Burke and co have found the keys to the fireworks factory.
This single almost goes down on one knee to beg your forgiveness (we're "only flesh and blood, not angels" after all) while a tight ass rhythm section propels itself into the stratosphere. This, my friends, is how you howl at the moon.
"math-rock is a teeny bit clinical, and could do with a soul injection..."
THESE NEW PURITANS / SWORDS OF TRUTH (ANGULAR)
There's a hint of 1980s Sci Fi to this single, as if the Terminator is about to rise from the ashes of a fire and lay waste to a suburb with a milli-gun. Sinister vibes aside, this slice of math-rock is a teeny bit clinical and could do with a soul injection.
EFFI BRIEST / LONG SHADOW (LOOG)
Pounding tribal drums, mentally ill sounding guitars and desperate female vocals lead us through this compelling track. Based in Brooklyn, this group have toured with Sunburned Hand of the Man, and they share a similar knack for being improvisational and thrillingly dramatic.
HOT CHIP / ONE PURE THOUGHT (EMI)
Despite featuring a nice Depeche Mode-esque chorus, this doesn't quite hammer it home with anything else. Still, the fruity and tropical rhythms are echoed in the lyrics, which reference the Macarena. How's that for a juxtaposition?
WHITE LIGHT PARADE / TURNING ALL THE LIGHTS DOWN (SPLIT)
This could have come straight out of the soundtrack to Teachers - it's a traditional laddy indie anthem with a quasi-romantic chorus. Despite wreaking of lager, stupidity and the mid 1990s, it's quite good fun in a Bluetones Vs Clash kinda way.
THE FAVOURS / ONE UP ON YOU (STONE TRAX)
This band are a bit like a slicker version of L7: meaty power chords, punk drumming and a slightly gothic female vocal. It's got a snappy chorus, but the flash sounding production let's it down in the credibility department.
OPERAHOUSE / DIANE (MARRAKESH)
As far as I can tell, the jist of this song is that Diane is a bit freaked out by life, so Operahouse are gonna ask her to come ALIVE! by going mental with their super-speed poppyness. This is great in terms of enthusiasm, but it feels sadly unremarkable come the end.
++ Cindy Suzuki ++
Artrocker rating: 3
The newest sounds as heard in the Artrocker Office and our Resonance FM podcast.
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