Tim Ten Yen - 'Girl Number One' (Fleet Street) Released 07/05/07

The other night I watched a programme about SXSW on the TV and was confronted by some A&R toad telling me that Mika was the future of pop. It’s a depressing thought that Mika’s crappy Queen pastiche is what passes for thoughtful pop music these days, especially when midget gems like Tim Ten Yen’s 'Girl Number One' are hovering just below the radar. Well-crafted rather than inspired, it ambles along on a synthetic skanking rhythm, TTY’s Julian Cope-ish vocals oozing down into the melody like treacle. Hopefully pop fans will give it a chance to become as irritating as Mika by buying it in droves; it seems doubtful, though.