New music releases

Is it ok to say we never really liked Portishead back in the day (15 years ago – crikey)? All those dozy Rhodes keyboard sounds and witchy singing got on our breasts. But Machine Gun (Island), the first single from their new and 11-years-in-the-making album, 'Third' (why dey call it dat?), is a rather marvellous combination of uncompromising electronic nastiness and beautifully haunting vocals. Good things have come to those who waited (even though we didn't know we were waiting, at the time).

A band who rode in on the flotsam of the good ship trip-hop were Goldfrapp, but of course most people didn't like them until they turned into super-electric pop stars. So of course, for the new album, they threw all that out of the window to indulge a passion for seventies psych-folk. Our initial horrified frown has now turned itself upside down into a smile of delight at the unique sunshine symphony that is Happiness (Mute). Hooray for potential career suicide-type risk taking.

Let's sustain our joy with The Feeling 'Without You' (Island) which is, of course, truly lovely in a does-everything-a-pop-record-should sort of way, even though we were initially dubious at Dan's attempts to rhyme 'gunman' with 'London'. Richard's little bass run in the verses is worthy of the great Carol Kaye on a Glen Campbell classic.

We don't want to lose this feeling (or The Feeling) so how about the impressively ambitious Make Model 'The LSB' (EMI) which, slightly regrettably, trades the lush Prefab Sprout-iness of their previous single for something far more agit-punky but that still exudes cleverness in a way that will keep us looking in their direction this year.

Duels have returned (though tbh we never noticed them go) with 'Regeneration' (This Is Fake DIY) and what sounds to us like an attempt to out-huge Arcade Fire; an attempt that's largely successful. Infadels seem to have been around with their well meaning but mostly harmless pop rock for some years now. They'd probably be horrified to hear we think 'Make Mistakes' (Wall Of Sound) is what a Dougie from McFly solo record would sound like, but we mean it as a compliment.

Robert Plant is the lead singer with Led Zeppelin (we must get around to seeing them live one day, apparently they rock…) and Alison Krauss isn't. But together they made an album of sparse, bluegrassy duets which lots of people like but we find a bit boring. 'Rich Woman' has a warm and rich atmosphere to it but still weighs heavy on the eyelids. Maybe we'll come back to it when we're older.

How about something fizzing with youthful vigour? Brit & Alex 'Let It Go' (Interscope) sounds like TLC producer Dallas Austin's attempt to smash Timberland's monopoly on hip hop beat-backed shiny modern pop, and if it is, then he's not done a bad job with these former hair model twins from Connecticut. While Britney's 'away', Brit & Alex may play.

Kanye West has another single out. When doesn't he? This one is Flashing Lights (Roc-A-Fella) and it has a nice keyboard noise on it. Sometimes that's all you need. Esser is one of those one-man-band bedroom-boffin types. While we agree with the line in 'I Love You' (Merok) that says "Love is no excuse for bad art" our initial impression is that Mr Esser is the new Jamie T. And the binmen are still refusing to take away the old one. But you should never take our word for it because we predicted Ben's Brother would be massive by now and, well, they're not. But 'Stuttering (Kiss Me Again)' (Relentless) really should grant them the ubiquity that a song this huge and radio friendly demands. It's out of our hands.


» Reviewed by: Tim
» Talk on the boards