19th May, 1997

Best new band in Britain style shenanigans this week...

Single of the Week

"Tranquillizer" by Geneva

Now what sort of spelling do you call that? Terrible, that's what. Still, you can forgive Geneva such faux pas when they produce material of this quality. Soaring, sweeping, epic - you know the score by now. "Let us be happy while we're still young" goes the refrain. Whilst no longer being able to lay claim to being particularly young, I can however categorically state that I'm damn happy whilst listening to this. Compared to the rest of the stuff on offer this week, "Tranquillizer" sounds as though it's been recorded by gods. They still look like a bunch of geography students though.

First extra track is the slow march of "Dead Giveaway", featuring glass-shattering vocals from Andrew. Closing the first CD is "Strung Out On You", a shuffling shimmering thing of strange beauty and compelling attraction. I didn't get the second CD, but I wish I had.

Marvellous.

Rating: 10/10


The Rest

"Sweet Lips" by Monaco

After the catchy New Order tribute that was Monaco's last single, comes this summery hi-nrg Euro-disco style track (which still sounds like New Order - "Fine Time" anyone?). Gloriously optimistic and upbeat, and with Hooky's unmistakable playing very low-down in the mix, this is one for the indie clubs. Perhaps a little dated, in that it sounds like the Balaeric Beat stuff coming out of Ibiza in the late 80s, it is still a mighty fine bit of floor-filling fluff

"Shattered" is the first extra track, an instrumental that sounds like the Chemical Brothers shooting blanks and is nothing special. Unsurprisingly, the two other tracks on offer here are remixes, each taking the main track and either funking it up (in the case of the "Fire Island vocal" mix) or turning it into a happy gabba-ish slammer (the "Tony De Vit Trade mix").

Summer's coming...(that must be why it's raining).

Rating: 8/10

"The Answer To Why I Hate You" by Symposium

Symposium's wrecking crew weigh in with this rocky, grungey track that crosses Nirvana with the Monkees and manages to include a fabulous shouty bit at the end too. Angry young men with a desire to smash it up (smash it up), you can tell Symposium are going to sound a million times better - a million times more vital - playing live than on record. Here they sound like a typically snot-nosed garage punk band; all sneered vocals, crunching guitars and elastic-band bass. Without the added attraction of seeing the lead singer disappear up into the ceiling, Symposium sound a little unremarkable.

B-sides...First up is "Jim", a heads-down no-nonsense punk track. Again, it sounds as though it has potential to bring the house down live, but on record it sounds like a Sham 69 b-side. "Natural" is better, featuring a nice big organic guitar riff and an almost baggy style vocal. Next (on CD2) is "Turquoise" another gleeful punkarama. "Keeping The Secret" is last, and like the a-side, captures the pop fun and dynamics of bands such as the Monkees and marries it with big crashing chords and punk attitude. Shame The Ramones did it first.

A band to mosh to, but not one to listen to in your room. Not unless you can pogo on your bed without anyone complaining.

Rating: 7/10

"More Life In A Tramp's Vest" by Stereophonics

After the gloriously sweeping and romantically doomed bluster of "Local Boy In The Photograph", this jolly, knees-up - almost Br*tpop - track is a bit of a disappointment. "Sit back, relax and have a smoke" advise the lyrics, which would be ok if the tune wasn't tempting you with a plate of jellied eels and offers to roll out the barrel. Harumph.

B-side "Raymond's Shop" is more like it, echoing bands such as Radiohead or The Smiths (witness the Marr-like guitar and the wailing waif lyrics towards the end) with a majestic piece of power pop. "Poppy Day" is equally stirring, with its melancholic pondering tune and downbeat lyrics. In fact, if you play the tracks on this single in reverse order, you end up with a far more satisfying offering. Even more if you stop it before "Tramp's Vest"...

Rating: 7/10 (for the b-sides)


HeadCleaner Back to HeadCleaner...