The pink, fluffy, floaty Cardigans of yore are no more; in their place are
leather-clad Scandic rock Valkyries from Valhalla. At least that's the state of
affairs suggested by "My Favourite Game", a big grungey guitar number that would
take the likes of "Lovefool" and throttle it. All the better for it, as the sound now out-Garbages Garbage (see below), with Neena sounding sultrier than a pack of Natalie Imbruglias (see below) on heat.
"War" is next, a gentler affair, but with discordant rhythms and off-kilter
synth noises, like a softler, gentler Björk (see below). A live "Sick And Tired" follows,
suffering from reedy PA, although the quality of the song shines through.
My favourite game's Operation.
Rating: 10/10
The Rest
The erupting geyser of rhythm that is "Hunter" was one of the most mesmeric tracks form last year's "Homogenic" LP, its drum n bass beats rippling through
an eerie, myth of a piece like some cyberpunk Icelandic spirit. For sheer brave innovation and hypnotic quirkiness, it is out on its own, only the fact that it's such an old track keeping it from the top.
2 remixes on this CD (there were 3 released, mostly with remixes): the Indian
spiced "State Of Bengal" mix, and the mighty trance of the "Skothus Mix".
Rating: 9/10
Unashamedly populist and blatantly chartbound, "Gangster Tripping" is another
golden nugget created by the Midas-like touch of Mr Cook. Based around a Dust Junkys sample, the raggaish track is yet another that will fill floors at indie
clubs up and down the country. Sixteen pints of lager later, you'll be dancing
to this thinking you're in the Goombay Dance Band...
"The World Went Down" is the biggest sound of the week, its huge pounding bass
tones rolling forward like a gigantic mechanoid steamroller driven by Genghis Khan. "Jack It Up (dj delite)" is less effective, being a disposable ravey
bit of fluff bsaed around a repeated sampled chant, the sonic equivalent of a strobe light.
Rating: 8/10
If the Ronettes had been formed into the 90s and been into S&M, they would've sounded like this: a gorgeous, sensual sound around which La Manson drapes herself like some Greek goddess of perviness. It sounds like Chrissie Hynde (and indeed, the vocal affectations and lyrical references to "I thought you were special" and "talk of the town" make it a bit of a Pretenders pastiche), only better. Plus, Shirley's never shagged Jim Kerr (at least not as far as I know).
"13 X Forever" is first b-side, a big-budget blockbuster of shiny black plastic
and electronica that is very close to material on "Version 2.0". A Brothers In
Rhythm mix of "Special" is last, taking the track to a Detroit club and housing
the mutha up, which works a fair old treat.
Rating: 8/10
I've got a kind of love/hate relationship with young Miss Bambi Eyes. Not - as you
might expect - loving what she looks like and hating her music. Me, that shallow? Pah, you know me better than that (just don't ask me about Dannii). No, instead I hate her when she is attempting to be an Alanis wannabe, and love it
when she is being less histrionic and following her own muse's direction. That said, "Smoke" sounds very like The Sundays, but there's little crime in that. It does however include the most horrendous lyric this week ("Where are you dad? Mum's looking sad"), and therefore loses at least 3 points immediately.
Three remixes sit on the b-side, doing usual remixy type things (either changing the song almost past the point of recognition as in the Way Out West mix, or merely replacing the guitar track with someone farting about on a bontempi as in the Ganja Kru one).
Mind you, she'd give Dannii a run for her money...
Rating: 7/10
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