Single Releases 20/08/07

Suburban Knights by Hard-Fi is not a bad tune at all. But the whole cover art debacle just seems to confirm that the band themselves are a load of tossers. So whilst the tune is ok, I can't really look past the fact that I hate them.

Similarly, Ricky Wilson and the drummer from the Kaiser Chiefs, annoy the hell out of me. SO whilst Angry Mob is a decent single, it doesn't change the fact that the video is crap and that I hate them.

I seem to be one of the few who prefer the new Maximo Park album to their first one, but even with that said I have to admit that Girls Who Play Guitars is not one of my favourites. It's ok, but that's as far as it goes.

Remi Nicole...Remi Nicole. I could do the old Gorilla Monsoon line and say don't commit her name to memory as she won't be here for long. Go Mr Sunshine is alright, but really is not something I ever want to listen to again. Which can't be a good sign can it?

I can't quite believe I once thought Linkin Park were "quite good". I can't even blame it on a woman.

I still don't see the point of hellogoodbye. It's pop, but rubbish pop.

As for The Gossip. Isn't Jealous Girls just the same as every other recent single? Oh I forgot, Beth Ditto is officially cool isn't she?

The Underdog by Spoon is great. But those of you have read my album review will know that already!

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

Ok so this is Spoon's sixth album, and I hadn't heard of them until a few days ago. Well you can't keep a track of EVERYTHING can you? So whilst most reviews of this album you will find will make great play about how good this is in respect to their vast back catalogue, I can't do that.

I can only tell you how good it is...full stop.

Clocking in at a little over half an hour, there isn't an extraneous moment on this album. From start to finish this is a delight. True, it's hard to escape the feeling that, ultimately, everything on this album, from the piano hooks to the handclaps, has been obsessively put in place on each track but the most important thing is that it never actually feels like that's the case when you're listening to it.

You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb's Mowtown feel sits alongside the minimalism of My Little Japanese Cigarette Case, which in turn sits nicely alongside the bouncy pop of The Underdog. Better still, in my case anyway, only Black Like Me sounds anything like approaching a ballad; this is half an hour of bouncy, hook laden pop-rock which, at the risk of upsetting Spoon fans across the world, reminds me a lot of The Fountains Of Wayne (which is a good thing).

If you like your pop mixed in with a bit of "indie" then this is well worth a listen.