les savy fav, xx teens, young knives and more - singles for THE week beginning february 25!

XX TEENS / HOW TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF BECOMING A TERROR VICTIM (MUTE IRREGULARS) If only the government had taken a few tips from this song, they could have used ice-cream vans to broadcast it’s message instead of wasting all those trees on ineffective leaflets. It’s also very funny and the endless drumming is perfect undulating beneath Dirt Dog’s drawl. Priceless. TINY MASTERS OF TODAY / HOLOGRAM WORLD (MUTE) Demanding, funky and spliced with CSS electro-baille, these mini poppers are getting all Karen O on your arse. Its an infectious ditty – all stonking guitar, fuzzed up baby vocals and a sweet chime of 80s pop. If only we had more cynical youngsters putting their energy to such inspiring use.

YOUNG KNIVES / UP ALL NIGHT (TRANSGRESSIVE) Since dropping the ‘The’ from their name it’s been a trying time for these boys, not least for their pigeon-holing into geek rock. The guitars are still razor sharp, Henry attractively annunciating – but this is a mild effort on the scale of their bolder ambitions. ‘Up All Night’ will resound in your head until it the Beach Boys harmonies begin to grate… SUBLIMINAL GIRLS / HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF (WEEKENDER) Euro-loving pop in its purest form; this band love Duran Duran from afar, as we do too (well, as much as is acceptable). However, this is everything a cover record should not be. Basically Subliminal Girls attempt to do the song as it was originally, only with less Le Bon style and more mundane shite. VINCENT VINCENT & THE VILLAINS / PRETTY GIRL (EMI) Flirting with two-tone is a dangerous game, as this song proves. This is the sound of a tinny ensemble with a shuffley drummer paying homage to some out of reach beau. It branches out into a freer breakdown, but the mention of Tesco upsets the rhythm somewhat. Uninspiring drivel. THE CRIBS / I’M A REALIST (WICHITA) A bit of a downbeat offering from the brothers Jarman, this is intertwined with self-deprecating claims and venom. ‘I’m A Realist’ is punchy and off-the-charts-kilter, as you would expect, and lyrically keeps on the mark nouce that they thrive on.