There's no easy way of saying this...ok that's a flat out lie, because for a good while now, I've been tempted to summarise The Ting Tings follow-up album with something short and sweet to prevent me from having to keep playing it.
In short; I liked We Started Nothing in a harmless sort-of way. What it lacked in substance, it made up with catchy hooks and a sense of fun that was lacking from most of my records in 2008. So, years later and after scrapping an entire album; the duo returned with what I hoped would be some decent pop music.
To be honest; I wasn't expecting much, but something along the lines of decent. I mean, given the preceding album and Hands from 2010, if I could depend on The Ting Tings for one thing, it was hopefully something decent.
Instead, Sounds from Nowheresville is probably a safe bet for one of the flat-out worst, jumbled and boring albums of 2012.
Warning bells ring from the get go when opening track Silence showcases a slow, synth and anthem-esq number that doesn't really ignite interest, but sets the tone for coming events. Hit Me Down Sonny follows with some down right obnoxious lyrics and vocals (har har har; Speedy Gonzales in the lyrics, you crazy, crazy kids) with a minimalist approach. It's thankfully short but doesn't really go anyway, instead it's stuck in a weird 70's timewarp that feels so dated, I was wondering if things could get worse.
Speaking of which, lead single Hang It Up which I hoped would grow on me, but hasn't, rears it's ugly head. Sounding like the backwater love child of Fix Up, Look Sharp by Dizzee Rascal and Because We Want To by Billie Piper, it's a weird number that tries to keep the listener interested with a chord sample and catchy drums, but it blows up after the first minute and never goes anywhere.
Give It Back is similar but the rock influence is notched up with a pretty decent bridge at the mid-point. By far the best track on the album, but it still pales in comparison with the singles off of We Started Nothing.
So, as the album keeps going, I get the impression that the bands sacrifice of Kunst before, which would have been in the vein of New-Wave (like Hands) was a bad choice. Then three quarters of the way in, in either a fit of madness or a stroke of genius; One By One changes everything.
For a moment, things sound decent! I'm taken a back, maybe the album can be salvaged! Sure, it's no where near as good as Hands, but it has a similar structure, it's sounds a bit fresher, the vocals are easier on the ears and I like the bass. Hell, I'd go as far to say it's good!
But then, the album showcases another symptom of Split Personality Disorder when Day to Day goes from new-wave straight to an acoustic guitar with string samples and electronic drums. It sounds like a conglomeration of every popstar in history's failed attempts at making a serious song to the lulz of joe-public.
Help follows suit which spends half the time trying to pull off serious, fragile song, then spends the other half trying to make a radio-friendly soft pop number with electronics which sounds jaded and confused. Then to add one final, eyebrow raising moment, the album ends on In Your Life, which sounds like strangely like Ennio Morricone and doesn't really suit the album at all (like a lot of the tracks in the last quarter).
As you've probably guessed, the album is a total mess from start to finish. There doesn't seem to be a theme or structure, it's more like a compilation, a greatest hits collection, something where songs should be taken out of context and listened on their own.
That's all fine and dandy, except the little issue that nothing, except possibly one song can stand on it's own for multiple listens. Like many pop records, what made We Started Nothing so good was that it was unashamedly poppy. It took the approach of trying to make every song a catchy pop gem and it worked.
With Sounds from Nowheresville; it's a collection of left over dregs that sound jumbled together, but on their own, sound incredibly dated, non-inspiring and and just plain dull. At just over half an hour in length, the album feels like an eternal struggle to get through and, as a follow-up to one of the better debut pop albums of the past five years; it's frighteningly bad.
Bless them for trying to have some artistic integrity, bless them for sticking it to the proverbial man but, if this is the end result; stay the hell away from Nowheresville, at any cost.
2/10
H
Speaking of which, lead single Hang It Up which I hoped would grow on me, but hasn't, rears it's ugly head. Sounding like the backwater love child of Fix Up, Look Sharp by Dizzee Rascal and Because We Want To by Billie Piper, it's a weird number that tries to keep the listener interested with a chord sample and catchy drums, but it blows up after the first minute and never goes anywhere.
Give It Back is similar but the rock influence is notched up with a pretty decent bridge at the mid-point. By far the best track on the album, but it still pales in comparison with the singles off of We Started Nothing.
So, as the album keeps going, I get the impression that the bands sacrifice of Kunst before, which would have been in the vein of New-Wave (like Hands) was a bad choice. Then three quarters of the way in, in either a fit of madness or a stroke of genius; One By One changes everything.
For a moment, things sound decent! I'm taken a back, maybe the album can be salvaged! Sure, it's no where near as good as Hands, but it has a similar structure, it's sounds a bit fresher, the vocals are easier on the ears and I like the bass. Hell, I'd go as far to say it's good!
But then, the album showcases another symptom of Split Personality Disorder when Day to Day goes from new-wave straight to an acoustic guitar with string samples and electronic drums. It sounds like a conglomeration of every popstar in history's failed attempts at making a serious song to the lulz of joe-public.
Help follows suit which spends half the time trying to pull off serious, fragile song, then spends the other half trying to make a radio-friendly soft pop number with electronics which sounds jaded and confused. Then to add one final, eyebrow raising moment, the album ends on In Your Life, which sounds like strangely like Ennio Morricone and doesn't really suit the album at all (like a lot of the tracks in the last quarter).
As you've probably guessed, the album is a total mess from start to finish. There doesn't seem to be a theme or structure, it's more like a compilation, a greatest hits collection, something where songs should be taken out of context and listened on their own.
That's all fine and dandy, except the little issue that nothing, except possibly one song can stand on it's own for multiple listens. Like many pop records, what made We Started Nothing so good was that it was unashamedly poppy. It took the approach of trying to make every song a catchy pop gem and it worked.
With Sounds from Nowheresville; it's a collection of left over dregs that sound jumbled together, but on their own, sound incredibly dated, non-inspiring and and just plain dull. At just over half an hour in length, the album feels like an eternal struggle to get through and, as a follow-up to one of the better debut pop albums of the past five years; it's frighteningly bad.
Bless them for trying to have some artistic integrity, bless them for sticking it to the proverbial man but, if this is the end result; stay the hell away from Nowheresville, at any cost.
2/10
H
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