May 2008

This album is a bad omen from the very beginning. from the shitty cover art and packaging that look like they were ripped from a shitty screamo band in 2005 to the retard intro, god knows what inspired that but i hope whatever did dies a fucking hateful death. … I was impressed with the checking of an entourage character and some other random shit but other than that it was just faggoted try hard crap with track names such as ‘$5 steak’ and ‘destiny lane’ shit dudes more like destiny, lame.

The Teenagers might have written the most shocking and misogynistic single of the year in ‘Homecoming’, but they’re so tongue-in-cheek (and so very French), that they seem to have gotten away with it. … The Teenagers play up their Frenchness by using a lot of spoken word dialogue in their songs, but with strong dance-synth undertones, you’ll find yourself singing their songs long after Reality Check has finished - and possibly even laughing too.

The B-52’s have been producing their glitzy new wave sound since the mid-70s (remember ‘Love Shack’?)… Despite such a long hiatus, their new material is just as fun and dynamic as ever – all the kitsch vibes and energetic beats (as well as Fred Schneider’s campy sprechstimme) are there, and Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson still have the bells to carry every wailing chorus.

However, because White’s voice is so intrinsic to his band The White Stripes, it’s not easy to separate the sound of The Saboteurs from his famous duo. But this is a masterful album that’s diverse in influences, but consistent in melody, from the Thin Lizzy-esque ‘Hold Up’ to the brass-infused ‘The Switch and The Spur’.