Adam Levine… What’s the opposite of Midas touch? (Img: Donna Lou Morgan, U.S. Navy)
This Week’s Singles: Eminem, Biffy Clyro, Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, Palma Violets and some others!
Published on January 18th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
This week’s singles reviewed, innit…
Biffy Clyro – “Black Chandelier”
Are they always shirtless in their videos? This has some nice chord progressions scattered about it but also the overbearing whiff of emo, sheen-laden emote-rock that it is. Plus there’s a middle eight that outright rips off “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Sorry, still not buying these guys.
Rocksucker says: One and a Half Quails out of Five!
Everything Everything – “Kemosabe”
An effective microcosm of their new album Arc insomuch as it manages to be at once a joy and an irritant. EE can sound great when they let their knack for quirky pop take full flight, but more often than not it’ll have arrived after some gratingly spluttered chant of a verse, as provided here by the “at the border” motif. They are the masters of frequent inspiration yet ultimate frustration; the Arsenal of bands, if you will. Still…
Rocksucker says: Three Quails out of Five!
Frida Sundemo – “Indigo”
One of the great ‘girl meets giant rabbit, giant rabbit consoles girl, girl beats up giant rabbit, giant rabbit runs away’ videos of our age. The song itself, fairly innocuous Kylie-disco.
You’ll never guess who the rabbit turns out to be at the end. Oh no she di-‘uhnt!
Rocksucker says: Two Quails out of Five!
The Heartbreaks – “Hand on Heart”
Since giving this a bad review would feel somewhat akin to kicking a puppy in the face, it’s just as well that it’s actually a pretty nice, My Life Story-ish tune. Could probably do without the super-earnest video next time, though.
Rocksucker says: Two and a Half out of Five!
I Am Kloot – “These Days Are Mine”
As perhaps the standout track of Kloot’s typically sublime new album Let It All In, this one can only score well. Anthemic in the good way, utterly elated, Ali Baba strings…it’s just a shame it’s being released while it’s sodding baltic outside, for its rapture is of the sun-kissed variety.
Rocksucker says: Four and a Half Quails out of Five!
Life in Film – “Cold Wire”
Pleasant enough, but nothing really happens. Like The Heartbreaks, this is pure and well-intentioned without feeling at all necessary. Pure man’s Coor, basically.
Sorry, we meant poor man’s Cure.
Rocksucker says: Two and a Half Quails out of Five!
Little Green Cars – “Harper Lee”
The Dublin youngsters come across like a melancholic We Were Evergreen, catching the ear with some tremendous close harmony singing to go with their pastoral pop. It’s also what Mumford & Sons might sound like if they had any kind of imagination, self-awareness or gentle good humour about them. Worth keeping an eye on these.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
The Neighbourhood – “Let It Go”
Announcing itself with a soft skank and all-too-familiar-sounding vocal, Rocksucker feared this one losing itself in Maroon 5-ish douchery but it manages to rein itself and cultivate a nicely brooding atmosphere. Fans of Maverick Sabre apply within.
Rocksucker says: Two and a Half Quails out of Five!
Palma Violets – “Step Up for the Cool Cats”
This has every ingredient necessary to be a cast-iron NME favourite. We’re not so keen, since it sounds to us like The Killers ruining Cornershop classic “Sleep on the Left Side”. FAO anyone who’s into This Kind of Thing: here’s more of This Kind of Thing.
Rocksucker says: One and a Half Quails out of Five!
Peace – “Wraith”
That’s a pretty funky verse riff right there; shame the chorus is so underwhelming. Some nice psych-y touches hither and thither, but what could be a killer single is ultimately let down by the most important part of the song being the blandest. Honestly, you start losing yourself in the groove, then suddenly you find yourself in a Kooks song. Some refinement needed. Cool assy video and silly keyboard at the end, though.
Rocksucker says: Two and a Half Quails out of Five!
50 Cent feat. Eminem & Adam Levine – “My Life”
What. The. ****. Is. Eminem. Doing. With. That. ****. From. Maroon. 5.
??
And the song starts with Levine warbling “uh huh…yeah-heah…”.
I hate him.
Man, screw this song.
Bye bye everybody!
Related Articles
100 best albums of 2013 countdown: 80-71
100 best albums of 2013 countdown: 90-81
Review: Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
The worst of this week’s singles: Thirty Seconds to Mars, Biffy Clyro, Lethal Bizzle and more!
About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
