I quite like the title of my post today. I modestly feel it would make quite a good album title - or at the very least a chapter title in a very pretentious novel. Wasn't the weather nice today? I was walking along listening to the "Phantom of the Opera" type bit in The Feeling song "Join With Us" and for some reason started to walk slow motion style like I was at the end of the Angel opening credits or something, before realising I looked like a complete effing twat. Anyway, after the Feeling song was over, 2 other songs came on at random that were totally brillo and totally available for utterly free and legal download...
OH LAURA: A CALL TO ARMS ~ I have slowly but surely become besotted with the incredibly soothing sounds of Oh Laura. In fact, I will probably only stop writing about how brilliant they are when they stop making brilliant records. Which is hopefully never. With each listen of their stunning and near flawless debut album (A Song in my Head, A Demon in my Bed) i gravitate to a different tune to obsess about for a little while. This track is a desperate midnight plea to a lover, sung with such emotion and naked passion that it's a truly intimate experience. The most hypnotic sirens song i've heard in a while, the live version (below) juxtapositions the gorgeous floating vocal with some dreamy electric guitar work that keeps the whole track alive. Seriously, if you haven't signed up with this band yet, you and I are going to have words... :P
LEGAL MP3: Oh Laura ~ Call To Arms (live)
LINK: Download Oh Laura ~ Fine (live)
PURCHASE: Buy the album on iTunes
TEMPOSHARK: CRIME ~ I finally decided to give Temposhark a whirl after XO's rather good review of their debut album The Invisible Line. Their single Blame is very good and lovely in the extreme, and a good example of how polished pop can still be made and sound sumptuous and dignified at the same time. Their track Crime is a step forward from that - with a sound that is reminiscent of Darren Hayes' Popular mixed with the emerging electro beats favoured by 80s legends Erasure and Pet Shop Boys. It's an almost trance like feel about the thrill of committing a crime and how sometimes only bondage and pain can make a relationship feel alive again. Pretty dark stuff, but quite bold and ultimately a tune I keep returning to. What that says about me, I don't know... :P
LEGAL MP3: Temposhark ~ Crime
PURCHASE: Buy the album on iTunes
By the way, be sure to check out Nick's excellent article on the very amazing Jean. It certainly made me return to their fine debut album...
