With the leaves turning their myriad festive fiery shades, scarves have been swung over shoulders and our breaths have quickened in the crisp afternoon air. Which can mean only one thing and here at Clash we can barely conceal our childish excitement. For it's the run up to All Hallows Eve, our very favourite time of year. We have nothing especially spectral or spooky to represent the season but we can offer you some sass and spirit in the form our our weekly Singles Round Up. Be careful carving those pumpkins people and the usual word to all babysitters...don't hide in the closet, armed with a hanger. He will find you!
The Strange Death of Liberal England 'Rising Sea'
I reviewed this album when it came out and must confess to rather enjoying it's noisy orchestration and big 'bang a drum' choruses. Produced by friend to The Cure, Dave Allen, it's reminiscent of the ensemble sound of Arcade Fire mixed up with the less irritating aspects of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. A polemic inspired moniker, glockenspiels (always a good thing), slightly whiny/shouty vocals, agitprop on stage antics and a prodigiously haired lead singer? It's all good.
Lykke Li
'Get Some'
Having been previously underwhelmed and slightly suspicious of the baby voiced quality of Mz Li (or the plethora of other squeaky ladies currently about) I'm definitely more impressed with this latest effort. Harder, stronger and faster, it has a stomping, spunkier rock n roll sound which has more than a whiff of the tribal percussion of the Creatures. Has the gal gone goth pop? All the better if she has.
School Of Seven Bells
'Heart Is Strange'
More densely textural and melodic electro pop from the beautiful breathy twins. It's like all the best of 4AD's back catalogue wrapped up in in a dashing contemporary coat or My Bloody Valentine with a New Order backing track and vocals by Ladytron. An atmospheric floor filler make no mistake.
James Yuill
'First In Line'
From the Moshi Moshi stable comes galloping yet more retro eighties reedy synth fayre but with an insistently surprising Balearic loop throughout. Although the vocal treatment may be a bit overcooked it's a cheeky cheerful offering nonetheless. A bit like Modeselektor covered in Angel Delight (but not butterscotch cause that would have taken it up another notch entirely).
Bearsuit
'Please Don't Take Him Back'
The perky Norwich contingent present us with an funky bass driven twiddly upbeat tunefest. The female vocal is perhaps weaker than it's harmonising male counterpart but it's all acceptable in a Human League wannabe kinda way. And as it's sentiments pertinently echo the refrain which I've heard plenty from my lady friends this past year, it get a thumbs up from me.
Surfer Blood
'Floating Vibes'
My head says run for the hills. I should hate everything about this. They're from Florida. It has Surfer and Vibes in the title. However...with my cynicism left at the sand strewn door this turns out to be a rather surprising unabashed indie pop record. It defiantly does not do what it says on the tin. And it's all the better for it.
Hadouken
'Oxygen'
Electronic, grimey, indie, neon dance. Or some such. This isn't a a bad track but the substandard Klaxon style vocals aren't exactly to my taste. However unprepossessing it's still catchy, I'll give em that.