Are Seven

No one else had any clever ideas for the title of my weekly song-heralding feature, so here it is: Fine Tune Friday, where the tunes are fine and usually on Friday. Get it? Charts and graphs are available if you need further explanation.

The recently-christened feature is already breaking with a one-time tradition and is crowning two songs instead of last week’s one. This is less because there’s more exciting stuff this week and more because ‘08 is continuing it’s meh ways and offering more tickles than orgasms. You heard me.

Fine Tune #1: Hot Chip, “Hold On”

Hot Chip has most of the fun of the indie dance bands with a lot of the flaws of indie in general. It’s a good time and the beat keeps going, but it still has a restraint that keeps it from greatness. Maybe they lose that in a live setting…

Still, there an irresistible feel to the line “Sir, I’ve a good mind to take you outside”, even while its buttoned-up threatening hints that their restraint isn’t going anywhere. Repeated listens have brought out the fun in almost every song on the album, and have made it this year’s first grower.

Fine Tune #2: Adele, “Best For Last”

The rock critic cliche about Adele in her native England where she’s already hit #1 is that she’s the “new Amy Winehouse.” As tempting as it is to call her that, it’s pretty far from accurate. Winehouse mixes real soul with faux soul and inspired production and lyrics to create something unique, whereas the production and playing on Adele’s record is so restrained that any claim of Adele being a soul singer would be embarrassing for everyone.

Adele is more like the new Natasha Bedingfield than the new Amy Winehouse, but that doesn’t mean that a supremely catchy song can’t easily overcome all of her slick trappings. “Best for Last” came to me last Sunday morning. For some reason, I kept listening after the first song on her record really rubbed me the wrong way (How do you turn the word “doorstep” into “doorstayyyye-e-eep”?), and by the time I got to the chorus of this song, I was dancing in my desk chair. If Adele hooks up with a gritty, soulful producer for future endeavors, she could turn out a pop masterpiece that’ll stand beside Back To Black, but until then, it’s vanilla pop like this song. But, like, French vanilla.

Albums picked up this week and first impressions:

• Adele, 19. Found via 3voor12.
• Throw Me The Statue, Moonbeams. Found via 3voor12. FI: nice stuff, though the first listen hasn’t really stuck with me.
• British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music? FI: Possibly the most appropriately-named album ever. It’s rock music, alright, and that’s about all you can say about it.
• Atlas Sound, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. Found via Pitchfork’s Best New Music. FI: Lightweight, ambient indie. Enh.
• High Places, 03/07 - 09/07. Found via Pitchfork’s Best New Music. FI: Lightweight, ambient indie. Enh.
• Headlights, Some Racing, Some Stopping. Recommended by Liz. FI: Very nice. Indie pop that’s not too poppy, that’s both balanced and nicely off-kilter.

Also listened to:
The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride on 3voor12: I assume that MG fans will tell you that you just need to get over his nasally, weak voice. Can’t do it. The music is nice and could be something special in the hands (and voice) of someone more creative, but with this presentation, it’s dull, like Death Cab’s more boring moments.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.