LIVE - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip @ O2 Academy 2, Liverpool - 19.03.2010

It's fairly safe to say I was one of only two people wearing a shirt and tie at this gig (the other being Pip himself) and I was certainly the only person to be wearing a cardigan. They're not exactly hip hop clobber, unless you're involved at the rather nerdy end of the rap spectrum. Instead, tracksuits and trainers are the preferred uniform, as opening act Sound Of Rum adhere to. Frontwoman Kate looks as if she'd be more at home mugging you for lunch money than rapping on a stage. It's refreshing to hear live instrumentation (actual drums, guitar and bass) in hip-hop than simply relying on laptops etc. Although this means SOR occasionally veer close to rap-rock, it's never too much of a concern and they provide a lot of fun for a support act.

Arriving on stage in what appears to be a Chinese Alan Partridge mask, with a beard to rival Pip's and a bulk to rival Giant Haystacks, B. Dolan has a pretty immediate stage presence. His first bit of banter; "It's my first time here and I only know one thing about Liverpool. That thing is.... the women are loose". Whilst I won't comment on that (for fear of having to deal with the backlash from female friends), Dolan's set was incredible and set the bar high for Dan and Pip: "The Reptilian Agenda", a call-and-response song revolving around the line "The Queen of England is a Lizard"; "a party jam about agoraphobia"; "Joan Of Arc" (dedicated to "Sarah Palin; my muse, my sexual chocolate") whose chorus goes "Joan of Arc had a dildo named Jesus/made of wood from the cross of its namesake/she considered the splinters atonement/and when she came it would fill her with light!" and a bit of audience participation in the form of Dolan stipping down to an Evil Kenivel suit and jumping over the first person to climb the barrier. You don't get this with Kings Of Leon.

Personally, I never thought of Dan and Pip being the most popular of bands. Sure, they obviously have many, many fans, that goes without saying, but selling out the Academy to a rather varied crowd wasn't something I expected. An intense, loud and sweaty gig was par for the course. Whilst I had all the movement space of a dwarf in a pillowcase, I tried my best to obey Pip and get dancing. Songs both old and new were met with near-Beatlemania shouting. Clearly Dan & Scroob fans are quick learners when it comes to lyrics. Cynics usually criticise the duo for being over-earnest, but in the live arena it's clear to see that whilst sincere, they never take themselves too seriously. With both Dan and Pip on fine form, the closing hattrick of "Thou Shalt Always Kill", "Get Better" and "Letter From God To Man" is the perfect ending that any fan could hope for.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Either Dan's mid-gig biscuit craving (someone actually brought a pack with them...) or "N Dubz, get better; Chipmunk, get better; Tinchy Stryder, get better; Scroobius Pip, get better..."

PLAYING CATCH-UP: Albums I've missed over the last two months

In my 64 day absence, I've missed out on reviewing a fair few albums, so I'm making up for that now.



1. Beach House - Teen Dream
Beautiful melodies, ethereal vocals, heavenly arrangements, but there’s only so many times you can listen to the same aural equivalent of a cloud. There’s nothing too heavy or groundbreaking on Beach House; take the songs individually and they range from okay to amazing (“10 Mile Stereo” being the best track on the album), but in one go, it’s just a bit too much.
SOUNDS LIKE: Someone dreaming of Grizzly Bear
ESSENTIAL: "Silver Soul", "10 Mile Stereo", "Take Care"
7/10

2. Blood Res Shoes - Fire Like This
Blood Red Shoes have struggled to escape the indie tag they’ve been tarred with, and rightfully so. They are a lot heavier than, say, Two Door Cinema Club. In fact, a hell of a lot heavier as seven minute sludge-rock closer “Colours Fade” shows. But being a little harder and heavier than their contemporaries doesn’t really excuse them from not moving on from their debut “Box Of Secrets”. And when I say heavy, I don’t mean “In Utero”/“The Holy Bible”/“Master Of Puppets” levels of distortion and disturbance; more like Radio 1 midday-heavy, or Hollyoaks soundtrack-heavy. Had this been their debut, it would have been quite impressive, but there’s feeling of déjà vu on pretty much every track.
SOUNDS LIKE: Nevermind-era Nirvana, fronted by a girl.
ESSENTIAL: "Light It Up", "Heartsink", "One More Empty Chair", "Colours Fade"
6/10

3. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - The Logic Of Chance
In the two years since their debut, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip haven’t been given the kindest ride by critics. Why? I’ll never know. Le Sac’s beats now rival those of the biggest DJs around, whilst Pip’s flow has come on tenfold. Alright, the opening to Great Britain sounds alarmingly like Hadouken! and the spoken word “statistics” bit may sound cringeworthy depending on your fandom, but the insanely catchy chorus makes up for everything. Sticking with cringe moments, the “Rehab”-pisstake in “Last Train Home” doesn’t sit well with me, but I digress. For a band known for something of a novelty hit (“Thou Shall Always Kill”), the subject matter of most tracks is quite deep and, in the case of “Cowboi”, slightly unnerving. Cynics and year-round grinches will decry Le Sac vs Pip as preachy and overly political, but, at the risk of sound too much like Jon McClure, it’s better than album about girls and drinking. “The Logic Of Chance” is undoubtedly a step-up from the pair’s debut “Angles”, if only for the opening line of “Get Better”; “Imagine a song/that really reached out and touched kids/Not in a Daily Mail way/Innocence corrupted.”
SOUNDS LIKE: That cool-but-brainy teacher who's into hip-hop being let loose in the music department
ESSENTIAL: "Sick Tonight", "Great Britain", "Get Better", "Inert Explosions", "Stake A Claim", "Cowboi"
7/10

4. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
It would be easy to write Dum Dum Girls off as a third rate female Ramones, based on appearances alone. They’ve got the cool scowls down to a tee, leather jackets, names like Dee Dee, Frankie Rose and Bambi and they look as if they would almost definitely beat you in a fight. But instead of dumb, three chord, bubblegum punk, “I Will Be” contains some of the sweetest pop tunes you’re likely to hear this year, albeit hidden behind swirling shoegaze guitars and a few walls of distortion. “Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout” is an ideal sunny summer day soundtrack, whilst “Blank Girl” is already a forerunner for one of the tracks of the year. With only two tracks crossing the three minute line, the Girls don’t outstay their welcome, but leave you with enough hooks and harmonies to keep you satisfied.
SOUNDS LIKE: Girl group pop, with a metric ton of attitude, behind MBV guitars.
ESSENTIALS: "Bhang Bhang, I'm A Burnout", "Jail La La", "Yours Alone", "Blank Girl", "Baby Don't Go"
7/10

5. Eels - End Times
Excluding the refrain of “Mr E’s Beautiful Blues” (“Goddamn right, it’s a beautiful day”), Mark Oliver Everett has never been one for looking on the sunnier side of life. Having just gone through a divorce before recording “End Times”, that was never going to change on this album. If you’re having a bad time at the minute, it would be advised to avoid this album, unless you’re a) of sound mind, b) away from anything noose-y or razor-blade-y and/or c) enjoy revelling in downbeat acoustic laments. “End Times” isn’t fill with up tempo indie rock a la previous hits “Souljacker Pt 1” and “Novocaine For The Soul”, but turning misery, heartbreak, divorce et al into positive rock ‘n’ roll is a tricky thing to do, and luckily E steers clear of trying. At fourteen tracks, it may drag a little, but as usual with Eels, it’s never boring, and often brilliant.
SOUNDS LIKE: Music you'd need to make/hear after a break-up
ESSENTIALS: "Gone Man", "In My Younger Days", "Mansions of Los Feliz", "A Line In The Dirt", "End Times", "Nowadays", "I Need A Mother", "Little Bird"
9/10

NEU!
>>>TRACKS>>>13/07/09>>>Dizzee Rascal, Jay-Z, Bloc Party, The Big Pink, The Twang

Dizzee Rascal - Holiday (featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome)
Just over a year since "Dance Wiv Me", Dizzee unleashes a second collaboration with Chrome and kinda-crap, kinda-alright dance-master Calvin Harris. Less immediate than "Dance..." and "Bonkers", the synth riff is pretty much Harris' "I'm Not Alone" but toned down slightly, whilst Dizzee sounds half asleep throughout the track. Only when it gets a bit trance at the end does it really grab any attention. Not sure if it'll be a third Number One in a row for Dizzee, but it'll be a hit either way.
7.5

Jay-Z - D.O.A (Death Of Auto-tune)
Anyone who witnessed the opening to his Glasto set last year will testify that Jay-Z cannot sing, so why his comeback single denounces something to help people sing better is a bit baffling to say the least. Anyways, it's more a "diss" (yeah I can't pull that off) on the plethora of rappers using it; Kanye, T-Pain, Lil' Wayne et al. The great guitar riff and tumbling drum beat make for an addictive tune, as well as the jazzy trumpet breaks. If this really is the "Death of Auto-tune" then good riddance.
9

Bloc Party - One More Chance
The ever changing Bloc are back, with their third one-off single (after previous in-between-album singles Two More Years and Flux). Those of you hoping for a return for the spiky post-punk of Silent Alarm may as well just give up, as Kele & co seem intent on delving deeper into a dance direction. All the elements are there, a "Blue Monday"-aping beat, the classic house piano riff, a pitch-shift on the vocals and an overly-repetitive chorus. If it was released about 20 years ago, it'd be a classic today. But seeing as it's Bloc Party and a significant amount of fans want the band to stick to the same formula as their debut, it'll most likely be viewed in the same light as "Mercury"; messy, mediocre and a mistake. Even though it's better than most of "Intimacy" and is up there with their best work, fanboys are rarely pleased.
8.5

The Big Pink - Stop The World
First came the superb "Velvet", and now this. The Big Pink are much too kind. "Stop The World" is a whirlwind of hypnotic feedback, heavy drums and one massive chorus, as well as being strangely uplifting despite the seriousness it purports. As dancey as it is moody thanks to the pulsating bass, TBP should be huge by the time their album arrives, even bigger than Glasvegas were hyped up to be last year. B-side "Crushed Water" is a more spaced out affair, sounding a bit like Massive Attack, a bit like Foals, but completely unique at the same time. This is a special band so hop on the bandwagon whilst you can.
9

The Twang - Barney Rubble
Remember them? A gang of 40 year old Brummies (well they're closer to 40 than 20) who NME salviated over a few years back, calling them "the best band in Britain" and making Stone Roses and Happy Mondays comparisons. Yet another case of NME getting way too worked up and messing it's pants over a merely "alright" band. But The Twang have soldiered on through the mass derision and return with a summery shuffle. They haven't reinvented the musical wheel and they're not making zeitgeist-riding, seminal music, but they weren't doing that in the first place and never will. Just enjoy it as something that is positive, pleasant and pretty good.
7

NEU!
TRACKS>>>25.03.09>>>The Big Pink, Asher Roth, The Enemy, Hot Knives

The Big Pink - Velvet
Two piece The Big Pink won the Phillip Hall Radar Award at this year's NME Awards, a title that is an indicator to the next 12 months' big indie hope and has previously been given to the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas (all great), The Long Blondes (bit meh) and The Twang (what were they smoking?). Out of those acts, TBP are most closely linked to Glasvegas, not just for their shared affection for leather jackets and looking moody. Both bands share epic walls of sound and more than a whiff of melancholia in their music, but whereas Glasvegas use shimmering guitar effects, TBP opt for heavy electronic backing and an equal amount of distortion on "Velvet". The song itself is droney and mournful enough to pull in fans of the shoegaze sound, but has a prominent pop sensibility, as well as hooks, to make it stand out. Definitely worthy of the award.
8
[>>>The Big Pink MySpace]

Asher Roth - I Love College
Yeah, dismiss him as a second-rate Eminem wannabe. He may be white as they come with blonde hair and a voice as nasal as they come but Asher Roth "refuses adamantly to embrace rap's fixation with violence, drugs and material possessions"...well according to the man himself anyways. "I Love College" may not be completely original in sentiment or sampling (using a remix of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So") but if it isn't the best party track to come out in years, then I'm Dr Dre. Laidback but demanding of your attention, Roth provides the perfect guide to college in the US (I'm guessing so at least) and who can argue with a chorus of "I love college/I love drinking/I love women"?
9
[>>>Asher Roth MySpace]

The Enemy - No Time For Tears
The Hobbits return! That may be a tad unfair, as the bassist is probably around the same height as me. It's the other two letting him down, especially Tom Clarke, a prime example of "little man, big guitar" syndrome. He's just got to tell it how it is, since noone else is doing it apparently. The Enemy's second album is entitled "Music For The People" which is a grand, sweeping statement if I ever heard one. On the basis of its lead single "No Time For Tears", it would appear the lads from Cov are aiming to go even bigger before. A dash of sombre piano, thunderous drums, a backing choir and Led Zep-esque guitars all point towards sky high ambitions. Whether they achieve this is another matter. The song is catchy, and an improvement on most of their debut, but despite having made enough money to go buy great big houses in Cheshire, you'd think they'd stop banging on about wanting to "get out the city". Evidently not.
7
[>>>The Enemy MySpace]

Hot Knives - Out Of Touch
Nope, not a Bright Eyes-covering supergroup made up of members of The Hot Melts and Young Knives. Hot Knives have only been around for a matter of months, but they're still garnering attention from all over the place. The Manc band have received radio play on BBC Manchester and KCRW (pretty much the premier indie station in America, for those not in the know), they've had offers to support The Whitest Boy Alive and Broken Records and a lot of interest from the blogosphere and various management companies. In their own words they make "pop music to soundtrack the apocalypse", which is pretty damn accurate. At first "Out Of Touch" seems like a mish-mash of ideas that don't appear to fit, but as it grows every part slots into place to create an ambitious, dark pop song that builds to a huge sounding finale, complete with horns. Extremely impressive, for a band that has only publicly been in existence for a month, along with their other two tracks "Cold Morning" and "Solstice"
8
[>>>Hot Knives MySpace]
[>>>Zip Folder of all 3 Hot Knives tracks]

CATCHING UP
Apologies for the month without anything being posted. General merriment (eighteenth birthday) and toil (coursework) stopped me from being energised enough to write anything. In that time, I've built up a backlog of stuff that I shall pile upon you all in one big post. A few are just initial thoughts at first. I'll update some to full reviews if needs be. Enjoy.















ART BRUT - ART BRUT VS SATAN (released 20th April 2009)
I wonder who would win that duel. Judging by Eddie Argos' mob's third effort, Beelzebub is a dead cert. The Brut's debut "Bang Bang Rock N Roll" was full to the brim with simple, yet ingenious punk rock witticisms. Follow up "It's A Bit Complicated" was dull as dishwater to be frank. Whilst there are a fair few lol-worthy toe tappers here, it would appear the spark has gone from a once brilliant band.
5
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Alcoholics Unanimous" "DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake" "Summer Job"
FOR FANS OF: The Wombats, The Rakes, Young Knives














BON IVER - BLOOD BANK (released 20th January 2009)
Fresh from being darling of the uber-indie gang with last year's debut "For Emma, Forever Ago", Justin Vernon returns with this four-track EP. It's more of the same really; the title track is a typical example of Vernon's sound over his last few albums but is up with his best, as are "Beach Baby" and "Babys". Final tracks "Woods" is probably the most experimental track of any beardy-folksy type to sprout up in the last few years. An a cappella tracks using a Kanye-esque auto tuner (betcha never thought you'd see Bon Iver and Kanye West in the same review), once it gets going it's a thing of eerie beauty.
9
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: All of it
FOR FANS OF: Fionn Regan, Fleet Foxes, Ray LaMontagne













THE BPA - I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT (released 6th January 2009)
Or just more talent. It may be snidey to dismiss this album in the first sentence, but it's really that poor, considering who is involved. Jamie T, David Byrne, Dizzee, Iggy, Martha Wainwright feature, all being orchestrated by that well known musical genius Norman Cook aka Fatboy Silm. Apparently, according to interviews with Cook, the album is a "lost classic" from the 70s and the tapes have just been found. I think I'll point out that Cook was admitted to rehab for alcohol addiction just after this album was released. Coincidence? All this album can represent is an immeasurable waste of talent and creativity. Apart from "Toe Jam" featuring Dizzee Rascal and David Byrne, which is quite the choon.
3
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Toe Jam (featuring David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal)"
FOR FANS OF: Fatboy Slim













EMMY THE GREAT - FIRST LOVE (released 9th February 2009)
Slightly over-presumptuous, if I'm being honest. As with The BPA up there, this appears to be another one track album. The title track is a cute folky ballad, with a slightly odd ending and a blatant steal from "Hallelujah", but apart from that there's nothing else here to sink your teeth into. Just samey sub-Laura Marling folk-pop. Yawn.
3
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "First Love"
FOR FANS OF: Laura Marling, Noah & The Whale, Lightspeed Champion














IT HUGS BACK - INSIDE YOUR GUITAR (released 6th April 2009)
Certainly does what it says on the tin. The whole album feels like one big warm shoegaze-y hug. A hug that makes me want to abandon any sense of professionalism I have by using smileys and emoticons to describe it. C'mon, it even has felt in the artwork! It's twee and I love it. "Inside Your Guitar" walks the line between droney yet heartfelt melancholia and unbridled, joyous dream pop, mixing bits of both with aplomb. "Work Day" is a prime example of this, and is as great a single as any major label corporate indie whores will release this year. Nothing against major label indie, it just that IHB are a rather underground indie band, so hating the mainstream feels appropriate. Should you happen across this album anywhere, from record shops to HMV to the interwebz, grab it immediately and immerse yourself in utter happiness. In album form.
9.5
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Q", "Work Day", "Forgotten Song", "Remember", "Now & Again"
FOR FANS OF: The Love Language, The Little Ones, Pete & The Pirates














THE JOY FORMIDABLE - A BALLOON CALLED MOANING (released 17th February 2009)
As previously seen being raved about by me on here a few months back. The Welsh trio have the perfect dreamy pop melodies at their disposal, only buried under walls of mountainous feedback, massive riffage, thunderous drums and (just to cram one more cliche in) widescreen vision. There's something slightly reminiscent about Holy Bible-era Manic Street Preachers about the ten songs here, but I can't quite place my finger on it. A more obvious way to describe them would be Pixes mixed with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, if only for Ritzy's punkish Karen O-aping vocals. Most tracks are surprisingly danceable too, with impressive fuzzy bass work being at the core of the album. Hyped festival appearances await, surely
8
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade", "Cradle", "Austere"
FOR FANS OF: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pixies, Red Light Company














K'NAAN - TROUBADOUR (released 24th February 2009)
Somalian rappers are not a regular feature of anything really. But my guess is K'naan wants to change that. Not strictly from Somalia as he's lived in the US and Canada for 18 years, but still, the influences of his home country shine through. Looking like Crabman from My Name Is Earl and roping in an all-star cast of Mos Def, Adam Levine, Damian Marley and Kirk freakin' Hammett(!) "Troubadour" is a fun, summery hip-hop album (well apart from "If Rap Gets Jealous" which Hammett plays on, which sounds a bit like a good rap-rock band (I seriously can't think of any)). Not exactly revolutionary or life changing, but highly enjoyable
7
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "If Rap Gets Jealous", "Wavin' Flag", "America"
FOR FANS OF: Common, Wyclef Jean, Kid Cudi














N.A.S.A - THE SPIRIT OF APOLLO (released 17th February)
If I'm being honest, then this is basically The BPA's album, all over again. Even down to having David Byrne feature. But it's actually much, much better. "The Spirit Of Apollo" is in the same vein as "Troubadour"; cheerful, summer BBQ hip hop, although with a slightly more famous cast list (David Byrne, Chuck D, RZA, Karen O, John Frusciante, Santigold, Lykke Li, Kanye West, George Clinton, Tom Waits, Lovefoxxx, The Cool Kids, M.I.A and more) being used by DJ Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon . The songs range from amazing tunes ("There's A Party", "Gifted") to half baked ideas that plod along with no direction ("The Mayor", "O Pata"). Once again, it's not going to change your life, but it's still worth parting with your hard-earned cash if only for a Kanye/Santigold/Lykke Li collaboration
6.5
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "There's A Party", "Gifted", "Whachadoin?", "Money", "N.A.S.A Music"
FOR FANS OF: Kanye West, M.I.A













OASIS - FALLING DOWN (A MONSTROUS PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLE MIX BY AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS) (released 9th March 2009)
Fook me. I know most people wouldn't be able to sit through one track that lasted 22 minutes, let alone an Oasis track that went on for that amount of time. But this is mind blowing. Okay, to begin with it is a rip-off of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by, you guessed it, The Beatles; all sitars, eastern flavouring and slightly complicated drumbeats. But as it evolves it becomes an epic piece of music, more ambitious than Muse, Radiohead, Blur and Klaxons put together. Yes, it may get a bit tedious to listen to the same lyrics repeated for 22 minutes albeit by Noel, Alisha Sufit (the singer of Magic Carpet...nope, I dunno either) and a creepy young girl. But the swirling paranoia and sudden bursts of orchestral arrangements just keep building on an already brilliant track. This may sound like hyperbole, but it really is an astonishing remix. According to Gallagher Sr. himself "It changed the way I think about music....life has never been the same since" Now if that isn't reason enough to download it from iTunes, then I don't know what is.
9.5
FOR FANS OF: Oasis, The Beatles...obviously



















PETER, BJORN AND JOHN - NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT (released 23rd March 2009)
I'm not sure how many of you remember P,B&J. You'd know "Young Folks" a mile off if you heard it, with it's irresistible whistling hook. Well this latest single is a world away but just as brilliant. Once again the trio have dreamt up a great hook, albeit quite the opposite of "Young Folks". The electronically distorted voices slowly worm their way into your head, but in a good way, backed up by a funky bass to make the indie kids dance. Oh, and the video is a work of genius. Look out for it on MTV2 or NMEtv, seeing as YouTube and Myspace Music Videos are being utter idiots.
9
FOR FANS OF: Lykke Li, MGMT














PETER DOHERTY - GRACE/WASTELANDS (released 16th March 2009)
Ahh, old crackhead Pete. The tabloids' favourite non-political-or-sporting whipping boy has brought out his long-threatened solo album....and it's not bad. Not bad at all. In fact it's better than all of the ex-Libertines efforts after the breakup. "Grace/Wastelands" shifts from finger-picking Dylan-esque opener "Arcady" to the dubby "Last Of The English Roses" (which has grown on me immensely and works much better in the context of an album), The lyrics may not be the amazing poetry that Pete... sorry, Peter is known for amongst his fanboys (there's even a line stolen from Carl Barat on "A Little Death Around The Eyes") but with the help of Graham Coxon and fellow Babyshambler Drew McConnell, the album is a triumph. All he has to do now is stay of the bad stuff, turn up for shows and be a rock star. Simple.
8
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Last Of The English Roses", "Salome", "I Am The Rain", "Palace Of Bone"
FOR FANS OF: The more acoustic moments of The Libertines and The Courteeners


Finally finished....for now.

ART LIKE THIS
Mongrel - Better Than Heavy

A star-studded cast of The Rev Jon McClure, Andy Nicholson, Matt Helders, Drew McConnell, Jagz Kooner and Lowkey joined together to create Mongrel last year, which is, in their own words "a coalition of the willing. A force of nature based on musical artists who want to say something about the world they live in and be free of the merry go round of make record release make record release." The Kooks they are not. You've got to give them credit for having the balls to this kind of brave move especially when speaking out and super groups aren't exactly in vogue at the minute. Although it isn't commercial suicide for those involved, as there are enough hooks to reach a wide audience and even get into the charts. Even if that isn't the point of the album.

Despite this good cause, for the most part "Better Than Heavy" feels like being set upon by a group of right-on, left wing buskers in a dark alley. Opener "Barcode" is highly grating despite a very catchy chorus. "Lies" is an okay song but the point of it is nothing new, especially to anyone who's listened to a Bill Hicks routine ("The whole country is full of lies/you're all gonna die and die like flies/I don't trust you anymore or what you're saying") although it does have a great line in "Gordon Brown's a proper gangster". Somehow I can't imagine him in da ghetto wearing Boxfresh gear or even in Little Italy in 1930s NYC, but that'll probably do more for his yoof approval rating than any spin doctor.

"Hit From The Morning Sun" is quite bland considering it's the second single from the album, just a run-of-the-mill indie ska tune. There may be method in this madness but I can't see it. Debut single "The Menace" is a standout track, a great example of the band members individual talents, even if the sentiment of the track is nowt new. The eye-opening (well, for me anyways) "Art Like That" features a plethora of rappers, who I'm not even gonna pretend I know who they are, spitting more syllables in three minutes than I've said in the past week. As the album goes onto it's seventh track it mellows out and gets less in-your-face, but loses something. The remaining tracks are by no means poor; "Alphabet Assassins" in particular has a clever concept and turns out to be a great song. But the anger and vitirol suits Mongrel much better than the laid back ska-pop of album closer "All Your Ever Afters". Musically "Better Than Heavy" is spot on, mixing indie with rap and bits of reggae, dub and ska with great aplomb. But lyrically, McClure comes off as a little deluded and too right-on in some issues, which makes the album seem like a bit of a vanity project, one for him to say "I'm reet liberal and all that "voice of a generation" stuff, me". Still, it's better than another Reverend & The Makers album.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Barcode", "The Menace", "Art Like That", "Julian", "Better Them Than Us", "Alphabet Assassins"
FOR FANS OF: Public Enemy, The Clash, The Specials
6.5

JAMIE T - FIRE FIRE


















The Thamesbeat bard has returned, and it appears he's decided to show his love of hardcore and punk this time round, rather than ska. But this is only a preview track, and won't be on the new album apparently. Confusing eh? It certainly begins with a bang of a chorus, sounding like a riot between Gallows and the Beastie Boys. Don't even try to decipher the lyrics, it's nigh on impossible. The verses are a bit more typical of Jamie T, funky bass, rapid fire vocals and a bit of ska guitar. Make of it what you will, I reckon it's pretty great, takes a while to get into but it's an interesting insight into where the next album will be headed

7.8/10

COLDPLAY - LOST! (JAY-Z REMIX)
The biggest British rock group of the moment and last year's Glasto healdiner. Or alternatively, the most popular soft rock bedwetters and Beyonce's husband. Depends on how you look at it. Personally I'm kind of in the middle. Coldplay write some good yet bland anthemic songs, useful for soundtracking important parts of soaps, programme trailers and England winning/losing anything, and Jay-Z, well he could release a song with just him making various bodily noises as a single to critical acclaim, but he won't since he doesn't really need the money.

Anyway back to my point. "Lost!" in its original form is an okay song just plods along with various drums rhythm, organs and handclaps, striving for epic-ness and ending up as a bit of a dirge. So obviously Jay-Z's rap is a welcome diversion from Martin & Co. Even if it is a slightly stock rant about how success isn't always what everyone thinks it is (example lines "See Martin, see Malcolm/See Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome/See Jesus, see Judas/See Caesar, see Brutus, see success is like suicide" and "And the question is, 'Is to have had and lost/Better than not having at all?"') it still improves "Lost!" by a hell of a lot. A few more wimpy rock band/hip hop megastar crossovers in the future please.
6.5/10

Cash In My Pocket

You remember Wiley. The guy who was rapping about his Rolex during summer? Got to like Number 2 in the charts? Anyways, his latest single "Cash In My Pocket" is even better than "Rolex", despite the fact that Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather were involved with it. A funky, soulful slice of "grime" with a helping of brass (not an overload, but just enough to compliment the track) and a great hook sung by Merriweather (almost enough to forgive him fo destroying "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"), it deserves to be a massive dancefloor hit. Oh, and the video is a work of total genius too.


10/10