Features

Colourmusic, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Strange Death Of Liberal England, Pantha Du Prince, Bonobo - Singles Round-Up 08/03/2010

Simon Jay Catling 10/03/2010

Whisper it quietly readers (I'm writing this from a library after all), but this week has been pretty good for singles. That sounds decidedly unexcitable, but didn't you read I'M IN A LIB- oops. Against all odds too! When I tell you that of two of my favoured singles, one comes from a group supporting the Editors, and the other one sounds a bit like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, you might spew out your instant coffee with gusto and call an end to my very existence. But please, whilst you're contemplating that, please do have a look at a couple of existing reviews on the site of things wot are out this week:

Bonobo (feat. Andreya Triana)- Eyes Down (Ninja Tunes)- “'Eyesdown' is seemingly destined to feature in the trailers for wildlife documentaries and silver grey car adverts in the near future.” Read the full review here.

Sound Of Guns- Alcatraz (Distiller) - “Ambition on display that can be both enthralling and empty.” Read the full review here.

Things get better than those offerings though readers; promise. First of all, Alison Goldfrapp returns- the original 80s pop revivalist- and guess what! She's only ruddy reviving the 80s again. 'Rocket' (Mute) shimmers and sparkles with a pleasing amount of sass; and whilst some of us (me) are going to have to get used to the fact the days of Felt Mountain are probably gone forever, this chirpy ditty will at least have us dancing away our resignation. Keeping things on the pop straight and narrow, those still-young scamps Bombay Bicycle Club are turning many a-head once again, 'Evening/Morning' (Island) is pretty crisp indie-pop with a nice meaty bass-line; a great song? Nah, any single with a cover featuring someone who looks pretty similar to Herman Munster gets a recommendation in my book, oh yes they do.

Where things get REALLY VERY G- sorry, really very good this week is when Pantha Du Prince decides he wants to spaff almost eight minutes of awkwardly infectious minimal ambient techno all over my face; for help with this rewarding task he's enlisted the help of the ever in-vogue (at least that's how it feels) Animal Collective's Noah Lennox to do a vocal turn, and- as stated before- 'Stick To My Side' (Rough Trade)is really very good; all brooding and shuddery before settling into a tenor that's not quite moody enough to be dark but far from cheery enough to be considered uplifting, namely because Pantha's beats and bleeps and pulled down whilst Lennox's relentlessly chipper voice is pulling upwards. Juxtaposition- it's wonderful ey.

GROUP THAT'S SUPPORTING EDITORS ALERT (pee off Librarian, it's not like I'm ACTUALLY SHOUTING, it's for effect see?) Anyway, the Editors might've come a-cropper in picking up Strange Death Of Liberal England to support them on their upcoming arena orgy- 'Flagships' (Republic Of Music) is rather similar to them but better, making more out of structural crescdendos; and synths Editors? Why go for that for a change of direction when you can just throw a hulking load of brass in? You're going to look foolish I'm tellin' thee.

Cymbals Eat Guitars haven't been around too long, but every song they put on makes you feel like you're in a trusted pair of hands. 'Wind Phoenix' boogie-woogies into view, remembers who its being performed by and thus screeches with a bit of feedback to appease us. It's a wonderfully understated song by CEG's standards though, except for that noisy mid-section, but then that's just euphoric, and Joseph D'Agostino sounds constantly on the verge of exploding but only does once, about three and a half minutes in. It's great, basically. Which brings us finally to the BAND WHO SOUND LIKE BLACK REBEL MOTORYCLE CLUB. Colourmusic, though, possess none of the frowning, taking-ourselves-very-seriously aura of the clan BRMC, and in fact it's only the in 'Put In A Little Gas' (Memphis) gloriously scuzzy chorus that they approach some of the American's bluesy garage rock hallmarks…oh and in the ear-shattering outro. But between that, they sound nothing like them, true say. And you know what? It's a thoroughly enjoyable- if nothing else- four minutes, which is good enough for me. Until next week singles lovers!