Singles

The Hot Puppies - Clarinet Town

Clark Summers 10/11/2008

Rating: 2/5

On paper The Hot Puppies are a band I *should* have a lot of time for. The Observer have described them as purveyors of "sharp pop - a combination of Blondie's punk kitsch and the Shirelles' harmonic lift" and peerless blogger Sweeping The Nation continuously sings their praises and he's a man who knows his pop music. Why then does this new single from their endlessly delayed second album 'Blue Hands' sound so thoroughly mediocre to these ears? 'Clarinet Town' isn't awful per se it's just rather pedestrian - it's the sound of a new wave band with gothic pretensions trying to sound slinky, seductive and poppy and ultimately failing. Like the Long Blondes dalliances with proper pop this just sounds - awkward. Maybe it's time for a re-think or maybe I'm in the minority on this one?

Release date: 27/10/08