November 6, 1999

Stereophonics : Hurry up and wait

[B]'Hurry Up And Wait'[/B] is a pretty bland go-on-torch-the-holiday-cottage-you-know-you-want-to example of the 'Phonics' traditional and parochial art...

As you should probably know by now, the reason that we don't like the square-headed monkey-boy ankle-biters the Stereophonics isn't anything to do with their songs at all, it's just because they're Welsh, and this is a point we shall subliminally explore in this review.

'Hurry Up And Wait' is a pretty bland go-on-torch-the-holiday-cottage-you-know-you-want-to example of the 'Phonics' traditional and parochial art, but the main problem with it is that - unlike most of their singles - it's as drab as the scenes of urban unfulfilment it describes. Depressing enough notion to hear a song about being trapped. Much worse to have it acted out by the song itself.

Oh, and another thing. Stereophonics have a big old beef with people at NME for not knowing anything about music. According to them, Kelly Jones' brother coined the phrase 'Hurry Up And Wait'. And not, for example, Blondie, or anyone like that. Berks.

David Stubbs