Singles - July 2010

Eliza Doolittle - Pack Up

The Jitty’s favourite chirpy little popstrel is back with Pack Up, an almost unbearably perky three minutes of funky, soulful pop with a cheeky music hall vibe. Eliza is on top form here, lyrically sticking her tongue out at detractors and armchair critics, and skipping along the fine line between defiance and cheekiness. Ms Doolittle may well have written one of the happiest songs you’ll hear this summer, with an infectious chorus donated by gospel singer Lloyd Wade, and enough charm to bring the birds down from the trees and convince them to buy the next round.

Twin Atlantic - Human After All

This time out Twin Atlantic have stripped their sound back to the bare bones with a spiky 6/8 blast that has a razor sharp new-wave edge and the intensity turned up to eleven. It’s a dark number this, loaded with overtones of obsession and sexual tension, and with a slightly unnerving focus that never lets up. So far Twin Atlantic have hammered home their well-earned reputation with each new single, and long may they continue.

Post War Years - White Lies

This is an oddball little number, apparently bouncing between three or four different influences in the first few seconds without settling comfortably on any of them. If I had to sum it up I’d say it’s a schizophrenic mix of Latin American beats drizzled in liquified Bloc Party and fed backwards through early 1980s electro. If you’re a bit confused by that you’re not the only one. I’m a bit stumped here because White Lies is definitely interesting and hints at all sorts of potential but it’s too cold and unfocused to be particularly lovable. Have a listen, and watch what they get up to next.

Little Fish - Whiplash

Little Fish make a hell of a racket for a two piece. This is spiky post-punk touched by the harder edge of early 90s indie, with vocalist Juju Sophie snarling like a manic mix of Siouxsie Sioux and Chrissie Hynde. It’s energetic, aggressive and pushy, delivered with a sneer and a sulky pout, yet still manages to draw you in and flip your fight-or-flight response on its head. I think the live shows could well become the stuff of legend, and I’m watching closely.

Delta Maid - Broken Branches EP

If you were asked to listen to Delta Maid and tell me where you came from I reckon I’d get Nashville, or somewhere in Tennessee anyway.. possibly the Mississippi Delta. Nope, you’d be out by about 3000 miles - one of the most authentic voices in traditional Americana actually hails from Liverpool, and a hell of a voice it is too. The Broken Branches EP is a fiver tracker that features three original songs plus a couple of deep, rootsy blues covers, and effortlessly captures a trad country vibe that drips into your consciousness like warm honey. Delta’s raw, soulful style captures echoes of Patsy Cline, Bessie Smith and Dolly Parton, instantly recognisable and comforting but with enough of a kick to keep you on your toes. Checking the gig listings as we speak..

The Wanted - All Time Low

Please no more autotuned vocals. I give in. I’m sure you can really sing without the mechanical assistance, just make it go away. The Wanted are a boy band who lay claim to elements of rock and indie, and want to move away from the traditional squeaky clean image associated with such music. Unfortunately what we have here is a mess of brash one-dimensional synth strings, dull beats, and charmless vocal hooks that I swear I’ve heard before. It’s probably anthemic if you’re into that sort of thing.

Lady Antebellum - I Run To You

From the cover shot I expected a kind of dance/pop crossover but instead I got an extremely polished chunk of alt-country with rocky overtones. I Run To You is extremely tight, sharp, and delivered with silky smoothness, loaded with vocal harmonies and instrumentation carefully arranged so that nothing takes over. It’s not at all bad - maybe a little poppy for my liking, but extremely accomplished and the arrangement is right on the money. I reckon you might surprise yourself by liking it.

The Klaxons - Echoes

It’s been three years since we last had a Klaxons album, and if Echoes is anything to go by they’ve voyaged even further out into the abyss than ever before in the meantime. This, the lead single from their second album ‘Surfing The Void’, is a blissfully bizarre and trippy little number mixing the edginess of the Maccabees with the psychedelic acid swirl of early Charlatans. It’s a deceptively huge track, disguising the sheer amount of stuff going on with hypnotic space-cadet vocals and relentless pace. Major Tom would be proud.