HITSVILLE U.K'S ALTERNATIVE MERCURY
>>>Everybody's doing them...>>>

Since the real Mercury nominees were announced, pretty much every music site has been giving their verdicts on the choices and thusly compiling their own lists. May as well join in with the fun. Sticking with the planetary theme of the Mercury, I think I'll call it the "Pluto Award" for now, unless I think of a better, cooler name...

FRANZ FERDINAND - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
GRAMMATICS - Grammatics [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
IT HUGS BACK - Inside Your Guitar [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
JACK PENATE - Everything Is New [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
LATE OF THE PIER - Fantasy Black Channel [>>>EXAMPLE]
LOS CAMPESINOS! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
THE MACCABEES - Wall Of Arms [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Journal For Plague Lovers [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
METRONOMY - Nights Out [>>>REVIEW] [>>>EXAMPLE]
SKY LARKIN - The Golden Spike [>>>EXAMPLE]
VV BROWN - Travelling Like The Light [>>>EXAMPLE]
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS - These Four Walls [>>>EXAMPLE]

The poll is right there in the side bar, vote for however many you want. Have a listen to the examples first before voting, always helps. Also, apologies for the 18 days without posting, it's been a little hectic in 'personal life' world.

METRONOMY - NIGHTS OUT
Okay, this review is 121 days since the albums release, and almost a year since promo copies were sent out to journalists (not that I'm actually a journalist or anything...), but I've only really discovered the pleasures of Metronomy...that sounds a little weird to be honest. They look like a geekier version of The Wombats (in my opinion) and you'd never expect them to make tunes so full of funk and soul that I actually want to dance just thinking about it, even if that is a little strange. "Nights Out" is, in the words of Metro-mastermind Joseph Mount, "a half-arsed concept album about going out and having a crap time". The "half-arsed concept" certainly comes through, but if this album was played on that particular night out, it's hard to imagine how a crap time could be had.

Starting off with an instrumental double of "Nights Out Intro" and "The End Of You Too", 'Nomy (I'm lazy so that's their new nickname from now on) set out their stall as the usurpers of Hot Chip's indie-dance crown. The former is a sort of homage to Ennio Morricone, ominous electronic parps and a guitar line reminiscent of something out of a spaghetti western. You can imagine robot cowboys of the future getting ready to duel with this in the background. Anyway back on topic, the album starts to gather pace once we arrive at "Radio Ladio", a dance-pop gem, even though the verses appear to be being sung by an old man in a mac, if you catch my drift. A swirl of duelling keyboards and a damn catchy chorus later, you'll be dancing. No other way about it. The hits just keep coming from then on. A falsetto worthy of Muse and Foals-esque guitars on the euphoric "My Heart Rate Rapid", the funky electro riffs of "On The Motorway" and "Holiday" is a melancholy dance masterclass.

But where the 'Nomy excel is on single "Heartbreaker". The general gist of the track is Guy #1's best mate is sick of Girl #1 treating Guy #1 badly and breaking his heart over and over again. May not sound much, but it's the highlight of the album, and probably one of the best tracks of last year (however did I miss it?). An irresistible bassline and a chorus you'll be whistling for weeks on end, along with a certain quality that makes it very believable for some reason raise the bar for the rest of the tracks and whilst they may not hit the height, they come very close to it. More of the same for album number three lads. I'll get it when it comes out this time too.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Heartbreaker", "Radio Ladio", "My Heart Rate Rapid", "Back On The Motorway", "Holiday",

9/10