BC Camplight - Suffer For Two (One Little Indian) 26/11/2007

N: Bathed in an apparent "ray of abstract sunshine", this artist appears to have done what the rest of us have found difficult this year. But having produced the critically acclaimed album 'Blink Of A Nihilist', BC Camplight has rooted here in a single that possesses the 'pot of gold at the end of the rainbow' that is a catchy tune and yet one that never overwhelms. Ultimatly listenable, it gently caresses the senses as it proceeds.

T: Joe Jackson meets Supertramp. As Nick said, pleasant but hardly astonishing. 6/10

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Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup (Fiction) 17/12/2007

T: You either "get" Kate Nash or you don't. I'm not sure that I do, because she STILL sounds like Janet Street Porter, Lily Allen and Pam Ayers all rolled into one to me. Neither particularly distressing nor very exciting to me. Just okay. Nick will probably beg to differ though. Having said all that, I was impressed with her stage presence at the Summer Sundae Weekender in Leicester this year.

N: Another artist who drops her 'T's (please refer to the Circuits review below, for this to bear any relevance) although this time it is consistent. I do 'get' Kate Nash, I loved her album, high points for me being 'Dickhead' and 'Mouthwash' and although this is pale by comparision, it still has her trademark colloquialism stamped all over it. I guess it's pistols at dawn when it comes to marking this one, but then again maybe it'll be marbles in the playground.

T: She just wants Yorkies, apparently.

N: I like a girl who likes her chocolate, although doesn't necessarily show off the fact, if you know where I'm coming from...

T: Anyway, I'll leave it up to Nick to mark this one. I prefer Mars myself. 7/10

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Malcolm Middleton - We're All Going To Die (Full Time Hobby) 17/12/2007

T: Funnily enough, I said to my old band once that I wanted to write a song called "We're All Going To Die" several years ago and they looked at me as though I was mad and it never got off the ground. Malcolm though has picked up the same idea I was going to use - i.e. to say that it doesn't matter what you do, who you are or how wealthy you are - the fact is that we're all going to die, so just enjoy yourselves for fuck's sake. It's an extremely uplifting single, despite its seemingly downbeat title. This is what Christmas SHOULD be all about.

N: Truth is though, you are mad. I would never accuse Malcolm of that, he's got more money than me and defamation can cost an awful lot... On the other hand, I like the downbeat sentiments this single exudes, wake up and get over it. 9/10

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Circuits - City Of Lights (Try Science) 10/12/2007

T: They ought to employ either me or you as their drummer, I MUCH preferred it when we were doing our own rimshots. Errr.....

N: I guess it's not that great a single had we not been adding our own rhythm to the playback...

T: Yeah, most songs would see me playing the "air drums", but the fact that we were viciously beating the desk to try and inject some balls to it. And on "Before It's Over", I do really hate the fact that he drops the "double t" on the first "better" in the line "must do better to become a better man". Does my head in, that.

N: Yeah, one of your pet hates, but I like the way the band have reignited the barely sleeping ghost of the 'ska' rhythm.

T: I wouldn't mind if they said "be'er" TWICE though!

N: It's all about consistency in your case, I know.

T: Unt. 6/10

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Ian Brown - Sister Rose (Fiction) 03/12/2007

T: Another great single from one of music's true modern day legends. Brown's recent anti-war release with Sinead O'Connor - "Illegal Attacks" - may have been viewed as naive by many, but it was a heartfelt plea with a simple and commendable message, and this single continues his run of brilliant singles.

N: Agreed. This is like a flashback of all the best times spent in the early nineties, and a decade and a half on, still tastes as sweet. 9/10

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Jesse Malin - Tomorrow Tonight (One Little Indian) 03/12/2007

T: Jesse Malin was one of many, many artists who released mightily fine albums during 2007. "Glitter In The Gutter" was a triumphant celebration of life and this is a timely reminder of just what a quality songwriter the man is.

N: For me Jesse here bore shades of Tom Petty playing in the shadows, a very accomplished sound and one that deserves more plays. This is classic stuff. 8/10

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Fightstar - Deathcar (Institute Recordings) 03/12/2007

N: Flipping 'eck, these guys sound like I feel. Excuse me for just one moment, I need to...

T: I ought to point out that the screamo beginning here is not dissimilar to the sound of someone suffering from severe constipation, but then quite efforlessly slides into a melodic number in a Funeral For A Friend "History" kind of way. It's the first single in Britain to be issued on a new format called Vinyldisc, featuring the song on CD on one side, and vinyl on the other. It's a disturbing tune really, which takes its theme from Chinese human meat wagons. These are vans that carry death row prisoners, and if an organ is needed for an accident victim, they will execute the prisoner in this van and use their organs for a transplant. Charlie Simpson admitted he has used this as the basis of a song about the news that his ex-girlfriend is now seeing someone new, and has placed him in the back of one of these meat vans with him as the driver. Hmmm...not bitter then...

N: Flipping 'eck, these guys sound like I feel. I needed that, although I would suggest using the little room downstairs, should you need to. 7/10

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Maximo Park - Karaoke Plays (Warp Records) 03/12/2007

T: I'm glad Paul Smith and the boys have decided not to make me look a prize muppet, by finally deciding to the release the one track I deemed a "definite future single" when I reviewed "Our Earthly Pleasures".

N: I was thinking you were looking a little green around the gills...

T: That's because you sneezed earlier. And I don't have gills.

N: No, frogs have flippers, Kermit.

T: I look nothing like the bloke from Black Grape. Anyway this is a good song from a very good album. I've already told you that.

N: I'm afraid I'm still trying to find that. I thought it was a little flat.

T: Of course it's flat. It's a CD.

N: OH I see! 6/10 (Editor overrule)

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