Singles

Mirrorkicks - Anything

Bill Cummings 03/02/2010

Rating: 1.5/5

It must be hard to stand out as a guitar pop band these days eh? How to make an impact, how to fight your way to the front and gain attention amongst the sweaty throngs of Myspace bands, without being completely consumed by the influences that inspired you to pick up a stratocaster in the first place. How to build a fan base live, doing something individual that filters your influences through a new perspective? How to be sonically brave: take risks with a genre that has been mined to death in recent years. Sadly most fail, falling into chasing the latest fads, sounds and the newest bandwagons.

South London four piece Mirrorkicks have apparently been 'sending viral shockwaves across the web with their version of Leona Lewis', 'Bleeding Love'- first I've heard of this? With their second single 'Anything', Mirrorkicks have clearly been swotting up on some hypothetical 'how to write a commercial guitar rock song in 2010' manuals. A few points they've clearly utilized with their new release:

1. Remember the basics: (employ a weedy, bouncing guitar and rhythm combo that vaguely hints a b-side The Strokes threw out of a failed recording session back in 2002.)

2. Accessibility is key ( add a bit of fake melodic bluster; try and tap into the commercialism and accessibility of the Kings of Leon's recent chart success (i.e stretch the verse from Sex on Fire across a whole track)..

3. Don't be afraid to borrow from your influences: (top it with a strangulated Vampire Weekend aping vocal that is in actual fact the painful sound of a man having his balls squeezed in a vice-like grip.)

4. Try and appear quirky somehow: (finish suddenly and without warning before the three-minute mark.)

5. Showcase your range: (include a B-side- 'Think Fast'- that sounds how the A-side could have turned out; being as it's twice as long as the A-side and wheels out the same melodic line, but is ironically a bit better.)

The Result: Limp wristed, derivative, tinny, forgettable, contrived indie pop that lacks the energy and glamour the press release promised. Sadly, 'Anything' belongs in the overcrowded box marked 'waste of time' at GIITTV towers. Back to the drawing board eh lads? Maybe they should have taken heed of the disclaimer I just added in black felt-tip at the back of the manual: Do 'Anything' for a hit but don't do that.