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Single Reviews: 18th November, 2001
Travis - Side (Independiente)
There's no getting around it, Travis are bland. They might be of the very highest order of blandness but they're still bland. Fran's voice in this song is bland. The guitar is bland. The drums are bland. The video was bland. It's just bland. Please Travis, go away.
Ugly Duckling - A Little Samba (XL)
It does exactly what it says on the, um, case. Just a little samba, tailor-made for clubland. My brother loves stuff like this single and that it has disappeared from its box speaks volumes about it. If you're a fan you probably have it already anyway.
Guttermouth - She's Got The Look (Nitro)
Guttermouth is exactly the type of band that you'll find supporting Green Day or Blink 182. Their sound is virtually indistinguishable from either band and this single is a perfect example. If you like pop-punk then by all means go and get it. Otherwise, um, get something else instead.
Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs (Epic)
He's not funny. At all. If you're taking the piss out of a musical trend in song, as Ben is here undermining "nu-metal", then you should make sure your own song is pretty good. Unfortunately, after only a few seconds of listening it becomes clear that Ben can't sing, his band can't really play and he isn't much of a songwriter either. The sad thing is, I'd much rather listen to Limp Bizkit than this. Ughh, Limp Bizkit. Actually, maybe not.
Harry Romero - I Want Out (I Can't Believe) (Perfecto)
This is dance music of the very lowest order. The only reasons to buy this are if you are one of his friends or if you're running low on beer mats. If you don't fall into either of these two categories then steer well clear. It does come with four remixes, at least one of which is no different. Frankly, I couldn't stomach listening to the rest. Enjoy.
Ricky Martin - Loaded (Columbia)
It's hard to hate Ricky. But I do. Sorry Aoife! He claims that he wants to unite the world with music. Meaning music like this, bog-standard fare with no imagination or anything at all to differentiate it from the other singles he has put out. Still notable for the Robbie Rivera remix, but other than that this is just for die-hard Ricky lovers, otherwise known as the Hairy Chest and Leather Trousers Appreciation Society.
Christy Moore - A Stitch In Time (Columbia)
The main thing here is that none of Christy's legions of fans will be disappointed with this. The man is nothing if not reliable. Refreshingly honest and simple in an age of sparkle and gimmicks, Christy is right up there with Mark Lanegan in terms of consistently producing emotional, believable songs. As the Fast Show's jazzman said: "Nice."
Dropkick Murphys - Good Rats/The Wild Rover (Hellcat)
The Dropkick Murphys specialise in both punking up old Irish songs and giving punk numbers that old "oirish" touch. This is no doubt the kind of Irishness that goes down well in Boston, but not here, thank you very much. If you want punk, get an Amen single or a Dead Kennedys album. This sorry idea of punk is not even funny. What is funny is the amount of hard-core fans that the band has in America. And also that they played their latest Dublin show the same night as Tool. Talk about beauty and the beast?
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Stood on Gold (Mantra)
Unfortunately for Gorky's they are going to be compared to the two other big acts from Wales, the Super Furry Animals and the Manic Street Preachers. With songs like this they are even unlikely to come out well in a comparison with Travis. Or Turin Brakes. Or Badly Drawn Boy. Or Starsailor. Or indeed, any other band that peddles this weak, soulless kind of music. You've heard it all before, bigger and better. Move on.
Dominic Body
Check out some older singles.
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