TOTW 2008 - #49
I've been liking Neon Neon a bit recently. Gruff Rhys has to be one of the hardest working blokes in music, with his various projects, and Dream Cars (8 Dec) is from the mould I'm growing to love. It's very reliant on the Welshman's lyricism, but Boom Bip's electronica is still very present. It's a difficult balancing act I imagine, and this track is perhaps an example of how definitely to do it.
Ladyhawke is another artist who has been mentioned from time to time. Not that traditional, but still a good musician. My delerium (8 Dec) is a bit strange in that the music and the lyrics don't exactly match. It's a "go get 'em" fast paced tune - but the words are a bit aggressive if anything. Waiting around for something that clearly isn't happening.
Talking about things that are a bit depressing, how about a chorus with the line "Your life is over". Taking a name from a Shakespearean play is an interesting approach, especially when it applies to both the band and the single - Steve Lamacq's single of the week no less. Titus Andronicus is fast paced, powerful, and as the traditional hallmark of a good tune - a non-stop sing-a-long anthemic chorus. The key change is a bit Eurovision though...
From the "duets that you don't think will work, but actually sound pretty good" category - here's some Broken Strings (8 Dec). No, James, you can't play on broken strings - but the contrasting tones of James Morrison and Nelly Furtado does really work well, so you can sing with them. Steve Perkins describes it as being "like all the best bits of an '80s power ballad without all the permed hair". And he's got a point, duets like this are straight out of the 80s. However, this isn't pure cheeze, it's just a good effective song. Promising.
Going back even further from the 80s, guitar rich indie has been around for ages. There's a definite problem with The Gaslight Anthem - and that's that they also sound like The Killers. The voice in Old White Lincoln (1 Dec) could so easily be Brandon Flowers. But, I really couldn't give a monkeys. It's a catchy tune. It's well sung. And I like it. That's always more than enough for me.
Honourable mentions:
Dan Black - Yours (1 Dec)
Glasvegas - Please come back home (1 Dec)
Hold Steady - Stay Positive (22 Dec)
Keane - Perfect Symmetry (29 Dec)
La Roux - Quicksand (8 Dec)
Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts (29 Dec)
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