Singles of the month: Mummy Short Arms 'Change'
The Kills, Blood Orange, The Pierces, Wild Beasts and more
As we prepare to stare winter right in the face, we find ourselves in the throes of record labels’ last real push for glory before the Christmas single sprint.
The Kills lead a heavy charge from Domino but sadly, with ‘Baby Says’ (Domino) ●, they drown in a tepid bath of lackustre choruses and fumbled riffs. Blood Orange don’t fare a whole lot better with ‘Champagne Coast’ (Domino) ●●, although there is something undeniably interesting about their Arcade Fire-covering-Prince aesthetic.
US sisters The Pierces undermine the impact of their beautifully sultry voices with flat songwriting on ‘Kissing You Goodbye’ (Polydor) ●●●, however, this is infinitely more bearable than Wild Beasts’ attempt to fill the unnecessary gap Tears For Fears left behind, with ‘Reach a Bit Further’ (Domino) ●.
Arctic Monkeys further prove they’ve had their claws removed with the sugary 60s pop nugget, ‘Suck It and See’ (Domino) ●●, while the Domino crown is pulled out of the murk somewhat by first-ever French signings, François and The Atlas Mountains, on oddball electronic number ‘Piscine’ (Domino) ●●●.
Ex-De Rosa frontman Martin John Henry’s slice of geeky, folk-flecked electronica, ‘Ribbon to a Bough’ (Gargleblast) ●●●, is a charming remedy to the aforementioned headaches. Similarly, Collar Up’s piano-led crooner, ‘Short Term Memories’ (Permwhale) ●●●, is almost too pleasant to listen to in comparison.
Comparisons to Captain Beefheart have been banded around Glasgow’s Mummy Short Arms but Frank Black at his most violent seems a better fit on the brilliantly unhinged Single of the Month, ‘Change’ (Flowers in The Dustbin) ●●●●. Could use a bit more guitar bite (to quote AC/DC) but it’s a screamer all the same.