Singles 11th February 2023

Here we are again, the table by the plug socket reserved, the laptop ready and waiting and the playlist loaded. Two pint of beer ready to support us on our deep dive into the pool of sound we call the Fighting Boredom singles review in the pub. Part Three. Let’s go..

Mertrik – Immortal

This is an excellent drum and bass track, it’s got a sinister vocal, throbbing synths and great beats. The vibe is hard and fast, menacing and real. The photographer says that it doesn’t mess around and it’s great. It’s got the full kitchen sink in there. We both agree that it’s very nearly single of the week, but not quite


AVATAR – Violence No Matter What (Duet with Lzzy Hale)

This starts with good Killing Joke type riffs with a whiney yank accent, but then the vocal goes all metal, it’s okay but I prefer the lower vocal, it turns into something that’s a bit too Linkin Park for me. The photographer agrees and says it’s just overproduced metal with a whiney voice.


Snow Ghosts – Buried

I like this, it’s got a creepy witchy folk vibe and sounds old and lost. However the photographer asks ‘Do I like this..NO’ and wants it to just do something.
 


Ibex Clone – All Channels Clear

It’s got a nice post pink jangle but the vocal is very Bob Mould, it’s alright. The photographer says that it starts off goth then sounds like Bob Mould – but it ain’t Bob Mould is it.


Meg Myers – Me

 
Meg Myers – Me
This has a great big Pop Glam beat and it feels angry, I find it a bit forgettable. The photographer says that it’s dreadful and is it about self love? He thinks that’s what the lyrics mean.


Matters – Midnight Zone

This is a great track, interesting low down boogie electronics and at nine minutes long it’s all enveloping. The photographer says that I like it but it ain’t a single! It’s great.


Frankie Rose – Sixteen Ways

This is wishy washy pop, it’ll probably be a hit. The photographer says that Radio 6 music are going to love it, overproduced and flat, we don’t love it.


Jen Cloher – My Witch

This one has an interesting guitar in the middle but it’s a bit dull and bland. The photographer says its dull around the edges and it feels like just another track off an album not a single.


MOWGLI – Malalamoler

Now this is top notch! a French Experimental jazz trio making an absolutely brilliant sound for six minutes. Utterly fantastic. The photographer says that it’s madder than a box of acid frogs in particular he likes the saxophone vs stylophone battle. 


Death Valley Girls – Magic Powers

This is a dreamy pop rock song with hidden menace underneath and has grown on me over this week. The photographer thinks that it’s radio 6 Lauren Lavern territory all over, He’s disappointed because the stuff he’s heard before had more bite than this, it’s just a bit warm and fuzzy.


Neural Milk Hotel – Everything Is

This is a Fuzzed out slow groove with a lazy slacker vocal. The photographer says it’s got a pointless intro with fuzzed out guitar but the lyrics are fairly uninspiring. Both agree it’s just not our thing.

Debby Friday – Good Luck

An excellent electro throbbing disco tune, wonderful. The photographer says that it is easily single of the week, it’s just brilliant, excellent!
Big|Brave – The Fable Of Subjugation

Big|Brave – The Fable Of Subjugation
This starts small sounding, a slow start then builds and builds massively until it fades to nothing, very Swans orientated. The photographer says that it takes ages to get going, then they throw the kitchen sink at it, then there are tortured vocals and then fades to nothing. I like it a lot, although at nine and a half minutes its not a single, it’s almost single of the week, if it was a single.


Alexander Tucker & Keith Collins – Fifth Continent

This is Orchestral, experimental drone work but it doesn’t do anything for me. The photographer says that it has no substance to it at all it just isn’t that good. 

The Damned – Invisible Man

Right, I like the Damned an awful lot, but this is just transparent, not anything to it, damned by numbers done badly. The photographer says that it’s recognisably The Damned but it’s a dreadful record, well played but dull and over produced except for a tiny manic bit in the middle, its dross. Why?! Why?! Why?! We both wanted to love it but can’t bring ourselves to even listen to it again.

The Men – Anyway I Find You

This is an ace garage rock slow burn. The album is brilliant. The photographer says he likes it a lot, it’s got that mid atlantic thing going and vocals are good and wailing.

Cloud of Ravens – Requiem For The Sun

 
A Cloud Of Ravens – Requiem For The Sun
This is Goth a go go and it’s great. The photographer says that it reminds me of early nineties bands like Ghostdance and Rose of Avalanche it’s goth central and its alright because it’s keeping the goth going innit.

The Bellweather Syndicate – Beacons

This is not quite goth but pretty downbeat and decent until he started singing it’s just not very good. The photographer only gives us one word, Dreadful.


American Nightmare – Self Checkout

This is angry, shouty and guitary, with added heys. It’s cool. The photographer says that it’s great, it says its a minute 13 seconds long, but its only about a minute and it doesn’t matter. We like it a lot.

Object of Affection – Self Check-Out

This is just miserable bombastic indie. The photographer agrees, says yes it’s just a bit dreary.


Gift – Gumball Garden

This is prog meets indie but it’s not powerful enough with an unnecessary intro and outro. The photographer says that it’s got an indie soft vocal and it’s not dreadful but not great either, he likes the organ.

Kate Davis – Fish Bowl

Just twee pop music. The photographers says Oh stop! This should be in a Reece Witherspoon film.

Spotlights – Algorithmic

There’s a deep rumbling interesting bassline but the guitar and vocal are just emo and I’ve heard it so many times before. The photographer likes the bassline but than it turns into emo tripe.

FACS – When You Say

A nice bit of post punk rumbling along over an undulating drone. Photographer says that it takes far too long to get going but when it does it’s quite interesting especially towards the end.

Veil Of Maya – Godhead

I thought that this was just another grunting heavy metal riff fest and alright as far as it goes. But the photographer says that it is absolutely the worst record of the week, it’s kitchen sink shouty in that they are throwing everything at it in a random order and it’s not good.


Grandbrothers – Infinite

I quite like this gentle bit of ambience and beat led widdling. However the photographer says that this is rubbish as well.

Das Beat – Laugh

Cold German dance with a hard German vocal. I like it. The photographer says it’s got an unnecessary intro and sounds like she’s about to explode but it’s a fairly average Euro beat.


Poison Ruïn – Härvest

This has an intro you’d cut off immediately. Then it’s a metal punk crossover, sounds a little tinny, it’s okay. The photographer thought it was another Goth record from the cover but its not, it’s an American punky record and he quite likes the fuzzy guitar.

Gorillaz – Silent Running ft. Adeleye Omotayo

Well, I do quite like a lot of Gorillaz stuff but this is just a Polished to hell and back synth fest and as the photographer says.. No it’s dreadful.

 
 
So there we have it. Single of the week is Debby Friday, closely followed by Big|Brave. Have a listen and read then please let us know what we got wrong. see you next time.
 
All words by Adrian Bloxham and Martin Ward

Adrian Bloxham

One Comment

  1. Neutral Milk Hotel ( crap name ) and Clod of Ravens ( equally crap name too) enjoyed both as they have a touch of Mary Chain about them. The Damned…is that for a film soundtrack? Gorillaz…dreadful. keep up the good work chaps.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *