This Week I ‘Ave Been Mostly Listening To…
Last week I bought two albums on iTunes that are, in their own ways, both challenging and revelations.
Firstly, the White Stripes‘ Get Behind Me Satan. The White Stripes can be something of an enigma: if you had only ever heard their singles, you would be forgiven for assuming that their albums are full of quirky but catchy three-minute slices of guitar-driven indie-pop. And you’d be forgiven for feeling smug and self-satisfied when, on listening to Elephant, you discover that their albums are full of quirky but catchy three-minute slices of guitar-driven indie-pop. But Elephant is something of an aberration in the Stripes’ catalogue and is by far the most accessible of their collections.
Get Behind Me Satan is a more difficult album to get to grips with at first but may actually prove to be more rewarding on repeat listens. The singles are as catchy (and quirky) as anything the White Stripes have ever produced and Blue Orchid has the kind of riff that a lot of ‘heavier’ bands can only dream of. The pair have also expanded their sound: piano plays a much greater role throughout than on Elephant and there is even what sounds like calypso drumming on The Nurse.
The other album that I bought was Hard-Fi‘s Stars of CCTV. In a way this was the more pleasant surprise as I only bought it on a whim, having both a vague idea of who they were and an iTunes gift cerificate burning a hole in my virtual pocket. Whereas I kind of knew what to expect with The White Stripes – they’re a know entity to a certain extent – I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with this one. I’d heard Cash Machine on the radio a few times and liked it but hadn’t heard any of their other stuff.
Once I got past the fact that I was unfamiliar with the band or their sound, I found myself really enjoying it and enjoying it more and more on repeat listens. I don’t think there’s a duff song on this album – some of the songs I like more than others – Hard to Beat, Living for the Weekend, Tied Up Too Tight and title-track Stars of CCTV are stand outs – but that’s true of even my favourite albums. But whatever you do, avoid the NME review, which makes the album sound like the kind of turgid ‘real’ working class yob-rock shite that Pete Doherty would produce.