Painting Yourself Into A Social Corner

The Long Blondes “You Could Have Both” – Alright, this is the one. Every Long Blondes song that I’d heard up to this point ranged from quite good to totally great, but they all seemed to be hinting a potential that is borne out on this cut from their forthcoming full length debut. In very basic and reductive terms, “You Could Have Both” sounds like the perfect midway point between Elastica and Pulp circa 1995, i.e., it’s a dynamic and potent cocktail of sexuality, wit, urgency, menace, drama, style, and overwhelming Britishness. Vocalist Kate Jackson comes off like the female version of Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker on this track, most especially in the spoken word breakdown that drags the tune through a lyrical territory not far removed from the bleak monologues of Different Class and This Is Hardcore. It’s not all as derivative as I’m making it out to be, though there is no question that the band is working within an established tradition. What sets their best material apart from lamer Britpop revivalists is the sheer will and tunefulness of the band, and Jackson’s considerable charisma and lyrical gifts, which is actually on par with the best stars of the subgenre’s mid-90s heyday. (Click here to pre-order it from HMV UK.)

Omnikrom “Achète-Moi” – Electro hip hop from Montreal, lyrically impenetrable to me aside from the chorus (en anglais: “buy me, buy me, buy me”), but energetic and forceful enough for that to be a non-issue. They seem to be equally influenced by Missy Elliott and Dizzee Rascal, rhyming in speedy, melodic verses that indicate a playfulness that is offset by the heaviness of the beats and aggressive yet colorful keyboard tones. (Click here to buy it from Omnikrom.)