Singles

The Rifles - Repeated Offender

David Segurola 26/02/2006

Rating: 3/5

We can all take great comfort in the affirmation that fun, yet forgettable, two and a half minute rock and roll songs will forever live on through the hard times and the disco, keeping the guitar tab book industry brimming with glossy potential and NME's pages brimming with an embattled army of home-grown “The Insert-Cool-Sounding-Word-Here” type garage bands to hype and whirl away at its whim. Oh look, here come The Rifles.

Repeated Offender, produced by Ian Broudie (Zutons, Subways) and with handy Jam comparisons soaring from every angle available, is typically suited and booted fare. Handclaps and tambourine bangs reel around every note, every posture, every twang and every reverbed “ooh”. The guitars are snippy and nostalgic, whilst Joel Stoker's vocals spring with a mockney flare that's, although unoriginal and aged, always enticing and familiar when surrounded by cool, comfy Beatles melodies.

The strong poppy bounce makes Repeated Offender the kind of song it's hard to dislike, but 2006 will see a million and one releases of this quality and variety, and many more will excel beyond the very basics of song writing and guitar strutting The Rifles cover with a commendable aplomb.