Electrelane - 'On Parade'
It's funny, the cover made me think "I didn't think they made singles like this anymore." It just looks so indie - not necessarily in a bad way, just one that reminds me of how appealingly esoteric and obtuse records by obscure bands seemed to me when my taste in music first shifted in that direction - and the single itself kinda lives up to that. I found it not-all-there on a first listen, but it's growing on me. The highlight has to be the little "doo-doo!" bits which sound like yelps that have then been sampled and treated and are being played on a keyboard (but I could be wrong). It's definitely a song that gets better as it goes along as well as the more often you hear it... The euphoria contained therein is something you can miss the first time.
I dunno, as singles go it's nowhere near as impressive as 'I Want To Be The President' but then, that track apart, I don't really think of Electrelane as a band who *do* singles. Maybe it'll click 100% for me when I hear the album. I'm a bit worried about this Albini bloke though, his thing seems to be to make it sound like the track was recorded in a shed. Oh wait, I mean garage, don't I, that's where the whole "garage rock" thing comes from, right? Only half-kidding and yes, I am a Philistine.
As I pretty much expected, the b-side, a cover of Springsteen's 'I'm On Fire' is the superior track - I don't know if it's the fact that I was blown away when I saw them perform this live, but here Albini's production values become a real plus - it's very raw in the sense of seeming right up there in your face, in the room with you, rather than in a shit indie venue in Camden with a crap PA. It's like this dark, roaring river of Farfisa and bass and crashing cymbals with a girl being spirited away into the night on top of it and shouting about how she's going to steal a girl from a guy (maybe). Okay, that's the poetic bit over with. I realise now why it seemed so appropriate that I was drunk when I heard it: the song itself sounds drunk, crazy loud breaking-things drunk on determination and desire.
The new Electrelane album is called The Power Out and is scheduled for January. I'm not at all sure what to expect from it, but I am pretty expectant and excited...
It's funny, the cover made me think "I didn't think they made singles like this anymore." It just looks so indie - not necessarily in a bad way, just one that reminds me of how appealingly esoteric and obtuse records by obscure bands seemed to me when my taste in music first shifted in that direction - and the single itself kinda lives up to that. I found it not-all-there on a first listen, but it's growing on me. The highlight has to be the little "doo-doo!" bits which sound like yelps that have then been sampled and treated and are being played on a keyboard (but I could be wrong). It's definitely a song that gets better as it goes along as well as the more often you hear it... The euphoria contained therein is something you can miss the first time.
I dunno, as singles go it's nowhere near as impressive as 'I Want To Be The President' but then, that track apart, I don't really think of Electrelane as a band who *do* singles. Maybe it'll click 100% for me when I hear the album. I'm a bit worried about this Albini bloke though, his thing seems to be to make it sound like the track was recorded in a shed. Oh wait, I mean garage, don't I, that's where the whole "garage rock" thing comes from, right? Only half-kidding and yes, I am a Philistine.
As I pretty much expected, the b-side, a cover of Springsteen's 'I'm On Fire' is the superior track - I don't know if it's the fact that I was blown away when I saw them perform this live, but here Albini's production values become a real plus - it's very raw in the sense of seeming right up there in your face, in the room with you, rather than in a shit indie venue in Camden with a crap PA. It's like this dark, roaring river of Farfisa and bass and crashing cymbals with a girl being spirited away into the night on top of it and shouting about how she's going to steal a girl from a guy (maybe). Okay, that's the poetic bit over with. I realise now why it seemed so appropriate that I was drunk when I heard it: the song itself sounds drunk, crazy loud breaking-things drunk on determination and desire.
The new Electrelane album is called The Power Out and is scheduled for January. I'm not at all sure what to expect from it, but I am pretty expectant and excited...
<< Home