Today marks the 25th anniversary of Right Said Fred's camp pop classic 'I'm Too Sexy'. We know, right? Where does the time go?
To celebrate this momentous occasion, we thought we'd bend the ears of brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass to see what the Euro-pop heroes makes of the week's biggest new tracks. Are they too sexy for the likes of Pixies, PJ Harvey, Wild Beasts, Banks Ed Harcourt and more?
FRED:
PJ Harvey – 'Guilty'
"I like the verses, they are full of promise but the chorus is disappointing, it never gets to where I wanted it to go.
"I’ve always liked her voice, it sounds unschooled and genuine which is why I’m surprised by whoever mixed this, they’ve buried the vocal in with the track.
"‘This Is Love’ for example allows her vocal to dominate the track, the dynamics work really well for that reason.
"Maybe it’s because Guilty’ as a song doesn’t really deliver that it sounds unsure of itself."
Wild Beasts – 'Big Cat'
"It starts well, very bare with the vocal very dominant in the mix.
"I like the repeated hook “big cat top of the food chain’ but the song is too linear for me. I was expecting/hoping that it would explode into something bold and brash. Big old school dynamics kicking in, it’s a path well trodden but it works, it’s a pity they didn’t walk it."
Pixies – 'Um Chagga Lagga'
"The guitar tone is great, sounds like a filtered distortion, which I’m a big fan of. I know they have a very loyal fan base, I’m not part of that, I’ve liked a couple of tracks over the years, ‘Um Chagga Lagga’ isn’t one of them.
"I love a bit of chaos in songs and bands that sound continually on the edge, this doesn’t work for me on any of those levels."
Crystal Castles – 'Char'
"I’m not familiar with Crystal Castles.
"The girl’s voice is really haunting, I like it a lot but for me the repeated synth line is a distraction and annoys the crap out of me.
"There are some really nice vocal melody parts but they aren’t supported or aided by the track, maybe that’s the point.
"Am I missing something?"
Ed Harcourt – 'Furnaces'
"Again I’m not familiar with Ed Harcourt. On the plus side he doesn’t sing like a girl and doesn’t think swapping to falsetto equals a chorus.
"He’s got a very solid ‘rock’ voice.
"The lyrics are good, I like the message “these furnaces still want more’.
"The instrumentation feels a bit ploddy to me, not a lot of groove in the bass and drums, I think the song would have benefited from more thought in that area."
RICHARD
The Hour - 'Answer'
"I had to watch their video twice, it didn't really help. I decided therefore to review this in two sections: 1) the vid 2) the track
"1) A very dark video with echoes of Bowie's 'Blackstar' together with a bit of X-Files. As the video played there was text running across the bottom of the screen which I couldn't really understand (am I being thick? Answers on a post card!). It was a cool addition to the visuals but distracting. Nevertheless it was great to see something not pandering the predictable demands of the 'MTV Generation.'
"2 )The track is more commercial than is hinted at in the video. The vocal treatment is good as is the backing. The chorus is deceptively hooky, as is again the treatment on the vocal. However I didn't understand anything The Hour were trying to tell me (were they trying to tell me anything?) but I will remember meeting them."
Banks - 'Fuck With Myself'
"OK, two things I want to get off my chest immediately: 1) I thought I was going to hate it 2) I don't.
"In a way, it's a shame the song title is going to put some people off - it shouldn't. This is a really interesting track complimented well by an original and compelling video. 'Banks' is the artist's name I guess, unfortunately this doesn't give much of a clue as to how sexy and erotic she is. With no vocal histrionics and an intense delivery both aurally and visually this was a really refreshing experience."
Jamie Lidell - 'Walk Right Back'
"Well someone's been listening to Stevie Wonder, I think. There's little I can say about this I'm afraid. The raw groove is interesting spoilt by a derivative vocal. The chorus is catchy but not necessarily in a good way.
"This is one of those tracks that some thoughtless twat will probably play too loudly in their car most probably with the windows open! I'm still thinking about 'Banks.’"
Manuela - 'Cracks In The Concrete'
"I remember years ago we had a sit down meeting with our then manager who has since sadly passed away. He used an expression then which I'd never heard before and which I've never forgotten since, he asked us "what's your cutting edge?" This track by MANUELA seems to me to show evidence that they haven't given any consideration to this question.
"The backing is unsurprising, the song is for me at least melodically uninteresting and the vocal delivery lacks panache. Only the lyric prevents this track from being pretty forgettable. This track would benefit from a heavy dose of steroids."
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