Singles review

Beetlebum (or should that be Beatlebum Hmmm ?) is of course the long awaited newie from the Blur boys, and Country House this aint. No instead this lulling, psychedelic slow burner nods at the Beatle's (specifically While My Guitar gently weeps) rather than the Kinks or Madness. I don't think any one was predicting a change like this but the surprise is a nice one. Bonus tracks are also surprisingly decent and are also in the Beatlesque vein.

Of course you've heard it by now - the whining voice, thin production and glam chorus which can be only one thing - Suede's Trash, of course. But the reason you should by the single is for Suede's usual splendid b-sides, europe is our playground and every monday morning comes both are 'album track' quality.

The Atomic Power Action EP continues Bis' indie+guitar+drum machine x teenagers = teen-C pop equation with mixed results. Lead track Starbright Boy and the sing songy team theme are good fun but the other two songs which are thrashier aren't, lacking as they do any resembalance to a tune...

Which Skunk Ananise's second single from Stoosh, Twisted [Everyday Hurts] doesn't suffer from. No this is quite a good tune and will no doubt gets lots of airplay. It's also backed with some pretty twisted dance remixes of other album tracks to show their not afraid of bit of experimentation, which should keep the pigeonholers on their toes.

Singles of the Month
Drop City - Fools Rush In Another month and another fine single by Drop City. Using a cool organ melody and languid pacing this is a natural progression from their last forgotten gem (Cool Times). It's already had stacks of airplay and so it should. It might seem like the two cover versions included are showing off Drop City's 'cool' influences, being as they are renditions of The Verve's On My Own and the Velvet Underground's. but really what decent band doesn't worship one of them, and besides they're both excellent songs, and Drop City does a damn good job of them too and make the single an excellent purchase.	Mr Blonde - Supergirl Like Drop City Mr.Blonde hail from Sydney, and like them, Mr. Blonde haven't yet released a bad song in their short but remarkable career. Continuing on from previous EPs, Supergirl is a spikey, hook laden tale of drug addiction. As per usual, the bonus tracks are even better - Take it Easy is an Oasis type sing along-thon, Buzzbomb a hyper energetic punk-pop masterpiece and Take It Easy (Rider), actually only related to the aforemented track by name only, is a sample-tastic ride using Primal Scream's loaded drum loop, heaps of wah-wah guitar and snatches of dialogue from Denis Hopper in Easy Rider. Roll on the album is all I can say.

Another brillant and underated Australian pop band, The Earthmen have released a second single from their forthcoming album Love Walked in (due out early April), called Whoever's been using this Bed and continues on from Hug Me Tighter by being an upbeat epic with layers of guitars and strings and of course Scott's gourgeous voice. You also get a 'Jive Bunny' mix of it as well, which surprisingly (unfortunately?) is getting as much airplay as the single mix is on JJJ.

Nancy Boy showing their influences even more blantantly than usual in covering Gary Numan's Are Friends Electric. Haven't heard the orginal but this new wave-ish, "A-ohh A-ohh" chorused number is rather catchy, and just as well as it is included in four different 4 mixes, including one by the man (Gary Numan, that is) himself. Also included is Nancy Boy's greatest triumph, Johnny Chrome and Silver along with the charmingly titled but instantly forgettable You looking at my pint?. Hmmm...

dodgy's Good Enough is indeed good enough. I splendid summary anthem that's hard to dislike. Well for the first 50 times anyhow...

Coast & the Gyres Are you ready sleeve

From the nice folk at Sugar records who happened upon the Chester site, I got a collection of singles from Scottish bands Coast and The Gyres.

I first heard of Coast via their song Shag Wild which was on the reading 95 Volume double CD. It stood out amongst the other 'Noelrock' guitar bands on that compilation, and I was eager to hear more. Happily they haven't gone the way of most of those bands (i.e. nowhere) as 1996 was a very busy year for the former Aberdeen lads with a couple more singles, constant touring and a forthcoming album in the works. Now that you know me released early last year melds a dark, Echo and the Bunnymen kind of verse with a 'catchy as' chorus, and is backed with similary splendid bonus tracks, "Tender Cage" and "She wears a Frown". Forthcoming single Do it Now should cause any discerning listener to do likewise (as in buy the damn thing), with it's punchy chorus and brashfullness. Headlines in the Sun is the weakest of the bunch, but is still served with some better than average b-sides.

Pop Cop sleeve The Gyres wield a similary impressive blend of guitar pop with just the right amount of attitude and determination. Pop Cop was produced by the "God" otherwise know as John Leckie and as such Pop Cop is top, but the other tracks are better : "A Fool To follow" an arrogrant guitar rocker and "Sooner or Later" a reflective "Married with Childern" type ballad. Their second single (well actually their third), Are you Ready is a fairly straight ahead, if rather catchy, Paul Wellerish bluesy rocker which is a good/crap thing (delete depending on taste). Again it's the "b-sides" that make even more desirable - "A million miles" is a gorgeous acoustic based number, washed over with strings in the chorus that succeeds in being poignant and full of emotion where so many others fail. In short it's the type of song that Noel Gallagher would give his right eyebrow for. "Top of the Tree is a balls out rock-stomp and has singer Andy McLinden uttering "Nobody loves you if they don't know you name". Shouldn't be a problem for too much longer lads.

500 (shake baby shake) by the lovely Lush sees them with their most commercial pop outing to date. The catchy riff, bubblegum chorus and banal lyrics is cute but my, haven't Lush changed. I have the moon, Piledriver and an acoustic version of Olympia also included, are more typical Lush songs and should be more pleasing to older fans.

Day we caught the train poster Ocean Colour Scene also provide good value with The Day we Caught the Train backed as it is with 4 other tracks, mainly slower soulful R&B numbers but also an acoustic take on the a-side. The single itself is one of OCS's best moments so far, despite (because?) of the obvious Beatle's reference but mainly because of the power and passion of their delivery.

Scheer round off the proceedings with Wish You Were Dead and of course it comes with another taseful cover photo, this time of rat (or mice) embryo's in clear liquid. Nice one guys. The music makes ammends however with the said single being a full to the tilt rocker off their Infliction LP. Bonus tracks including a cover of Hanging on the Telephone (a song which Blondie made popular but didn't actually write, trainspotters) with it's languid verse and crunching chorus cuts the mustard quite well too.

Caleb Rudd

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