The Bird Of Music - Au Revoir Simone

It's fair to say that on paper that Au Revoir Simone are a set-up that is tailor made to my specifications; three not-unattractive women with their keyboards out peddling a line in synth-pop with little nuances of The Pipettes here and Metric there. And it appears that I'm not the only one who was reminded of the rather good film The Virgin Suicides (one of the few films that lives on now I'm past my Kirsten Dunst "phase" by the cover artwork. And although any similarities between the musical soundtrack that Air provided for that film are merely cosmetic, I got the sense throughout listening to this that this would provide an almost perfect backdrop for that film as well.

Still, that's just me waffling on about things not really to do with anything you might want to hear about. Yes, I can hear those cries of "but what is the music actually like?"

Well it's a little sad to say that the idea doesn't quite work in practise.

There are some great songs, no doubt. A Violent Yet Flammable World may well be THE highlight of the album; with a drum beat reminiscent of Bat For Lashes' What's A Girl To Do it drives along in a cavalcade of brooding and swirling synth strings to great effect. Sad Song is a simpler, but addictive, effort but it's almost impossible to resist. And Fallen Snow is quite brilliant too, although how much that has to do with my, impossible to explain here, long love of church organs is open to question.

It ticks all the right boxes, I have to say, but as a whole just lacks that little spark that would really set it apart from the chasing pack. Whereas We Are The Pipettes was transformed by a little personality, this one is treading water where that is concerned. I'd recommend it, but with a caveat not to expect TOO much from it.

Single Releases 28/05/07

Hello and welcome to the bank holiday special. I doubt many of these singles take the actual bank holiday Monday as the actual official release date, but let's face it, what does it actually really matter any more?

Anyway, let's crack on.

Ana Matronic takes over lead vocals for the new Scissor Sisters single, Kiss You Off. For me it's the same as my feelings on the latest album. It's alright but doesn't pack that punch that you got from them the first time around.

Despite my new found love for Rogue Traders, I would have to admit that their new one Way To Go only just scrapes it to "passable".

The Twang are, quite frankly, shit.

As strange luck would have it, Au Revoir Simone release Sad Song as a limited edition 7 inch vinyl this week. It's good stuff.

I think that new one by Rhianna is a bit shit too. But then again, nothing she has ever done since, or indeed ever did before, will ever be as good as SOS. She should give it up now.

I am not at all keen on Mutya Buena's debut single either. It's just not that far removed from anything that the Sugababes would do, so thus actually becomes pointless. Still it will likely out sell Soibhan's efforts 100 to 1. That's life huh?

Hasn't Regina Spektor released On The Radio as a single at least once before? No matter, it's still a fantastic song.

The new Modest Mouse and LCD Soundsystem singles are pretty good, but don't exactly excite me in a "great single" kind of way.

Sod this, I'm off for a pint.