January 8, 2013

This Week's Singles Reviewed (12/01/13)

Biffy Clyro, Peace, Josh Kumra

This week’s singles reviewed by NME’s Sian Rowe

Biffy Clyro – ‘Black Chandelier’

They fill arenas, they record albums at LA beach houses, they’ve got really nice upper arms but STILL Biffy are a failure in their loved ones’ eyes. “You left my heart like an abandoned car”, wails Simon Neil. “Old and worn and no use at all”. It’s so forlorn (until the chuggy guitar solo) you’ll want to scoop them up, dump them back in a Barfly and whisper softly that everything is going to be OK.

Peace – ‘Wraith'

“‘Wraith’ is about falling in love with a prostitute,” says Peace frontman and east London new boy Harrison Koisser on his band’s new single. “But not really a prostitute and not really falling in love,” he adds, confusingly. Whichever it is, thanks to the lyrics “blow me like a floating feather” Peace can add ‘love a good blow job reference’ to their rock CV.

The Family Rain – ‘Trust Me I’m A Genius’

Sounds like these three brothers got hold of NME’s near-legendary 2002 New Rock Revolution covermount and just went with it. It’s got a piano bit The Coral would kill for, a howl Karen O would applaud and a cockiness The Libertines perfected the first time they put on those ridiculous red jackets. The “oh oh oh” bits alone are enough to start a petition to reinstate whatever crap indie disco you last went to.

T. Williams – ‘Dreaming Rinse’

Tesfa Williams is the latest Rinse DJ to break out of the studio and into the rave with his own tracks. Now on PMR – a label that has the gift for releasing tracks that work as well on the radio as they do in a club – this bass-heavy, soul-sampling tune has a hook (“always be there, my love”) that’s perfect to shout loudly while having the best time of your life on whatever legal high is cool this week.

Bo Ningen & Savages – ‘Nichijyou’

If Kylie and Jason had met on the set of a Japanese indie-horror film rather than Neighbours, their sugary duets might have sounded a bit more like this. Bo Ningen singer Taigen babbles frantically, Savages’ Jehnny Beth screams “raaaaaawwww” and the rest of Bo Ningen wallop the hell out of everything.

NME