Singles

Stardeath & White Dwarfs - Toast and Marmalade for Tea

Helen Newbery 10/03/2008

Rating: 2/5

With a title that sums up one of my main lifestyle goals, I really wanted to like this single. And things start off with some promise, as, yes, the lyrics “toast and marmalade for tea” drift out of the speakers. I'm thinking hmm, so far, so twee, but let's see where they go with this. Unfortunately, the answer is precisely nowhere. There's a touch of seventies-style children's TV programme in the swirly synths and vocal harmonies, but by the end of the song the repetition just makes me want to chew my own hands off. I can be a fan of a bit of twee when I'm in the right mood, and need the aural equivalent of a comfort blanket, but it's hard to imagine just how hung over you'd have to be to be in the mood for this. The band are in fact from Oklahoma, which, rather depressingly, implies they've actually worked quite hard to produce something so quintessentially English-sounding.

Released: 03/03/08