Villagers – Ship Of Fools
Essentially benign, Villagers here lay a tense and never quite consummated Eighties post-punk/neo-psychedelic guitar chug over nautical singer-songwriterly metaphors. Ship Of Fools is sure to comfort morbidly introspective young people who feel adrift, or at sea, or storm-tossed, so to speak, in their daily lives. Sadly, it seems to fade at just the point where older and more reckless musicians would cut loose and wig out.
The Middle East – The Darkest Side
More apparently fearful youths, this time from Australia, where bands could once be relied upon to do something extreme. The Darkest Side is over-produced and over-cluttered with floaty flutes and whispered backing vocals, burying the stark vulnerability it might have had in a slurry of designer schmaltz. Doubtless some depressive teen imagines it speaks directly to them.
The Heartbreaks – I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You
A potentially euphoric indie-pop record is ruined by airless production, note perfect playing, a metronomic failure to push the beat, and X-factor type emotive singing. There’s a strange, context free, nod towards proper rock and roll with a twangy Link Wray run at 1min 55, followed by cheesey Rubettes b-side style sincere spoken word section. The Railway Children revival starts here. Oh Manchester, so much to answer for.
Tuung – Don’t Look Down Or Back
Tuung take the same elements The Middle East muck up, diaphanous female harmonies and softly plucked acoustic guitars, but offset them against twittery electronics, big beats that are equal parts Terry Cox and pro-tools, rural religious chanting, and sudden snatches of noise, lifting the whole thing out of the mire. No-one involved in this need feel the least bit ashamed of themselves.
Ash – Carnal Love
Ash’s first single, Jack Names The Planets, was a hormonal instinctive surge of unknowing genius that they never bettered. Sixteen years later this not un-engaging mid-paced rock ballad is untroubled by either effervescent adolescent enthusiasm, or the gravity of approaching middlescence, but does its job just fine. Once again, in the closing seconds, the briefest of hanging cadences on the closing guitar chord suggests things were just about to get more interesting.
Marina and The Diamonds – Oh No.
Look, I’m a 43 year old man, this record isn’t really aimed at me, and to be honest I’m not even really sure it’s appropriate for me to be listening to it. After four decades on the earth, I am none the wiser about this kind of music. Presumably you jump around to it in night clubs and tap your feet to it in the car. But then what? The young woman’s staccato singing phrasing in the verse is quite amusing and I enjoyed the knowing histrionics in the ‘Oh no’ bit. What am I supposed to be feeling? I don’t know. Can I stop doing these reviews now? It’s twenty years since I read the NME.
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk