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- Date Released: January 29, 2007
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Rock
- Label: V2 UK / V2 Records
Sheffield’s OTHER troupe of angst-ridden pop-punks.
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We Say...
Sheffield band Little Man Tate are frequently compared to their fellow Brit tyros the Arctic Monkeys. As well as sharing a hometown, they have built an ardent fanbase via the same route of MySpace and internet ubiquity: even the clunky title of this debut album recalls the Monkeys’ opening statement of intent, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.
Little Man Tate's title actually refers to the timeless advice given to aspiring novelists and songwriters to “write about what you know” and Little Man Tate certainly do that. Showing a maturity and wisdom beyond their tender years, they play fervent songs of growing pains, unrequited love and provincial dreamers living for the weekend with laudable vim and brio.
Like Arctic Monkeys, theirs is a world of crushes, snatched snogs and barbed rejections from heartless local paramours. The clenched Northern vowels and observational detail of “This Must Be Love” suggest a knowing, ultra-sassy Beatles for the 21st century: elsewhere, their tales of failed romance in dead-end towns could be a wittier update on '80s Brit indie icons the Wedding Present.
They’re not all about the heart and the groin though. "Little Big Man" and "Court Report" (the story of a pathologically violent transvestite) could be edgier character studies from Blur’s Parklife period, while "House Party at Boothy’s" joyfully evokes the carnal carnage of a mass teenage cider binge. Equally fine is "Man I Hate Your Band," a rousing, self-explanatory assault on local poseurs with designs on music’s big time.
Little Man Tate may or may not equal the phenomenal sales record-smashing success of Arctic Monkeys, but musically they are every bit their equal. If you’re seeking the authentic sound of clued-up, cynical, hedonistic young Britain, here is the real deal. -
They Say...
Music journalists on deadline tend to make a lot of sloppy comparisons that don't really stand up to scrutiny, and as a result of geographical proximity, Little Man Tate have already gotten a sheaf of not entirely appropriate comparisons to their Sheffield compatriots and 2006 flavors of the month the Arctic Monkeys. There are some surface similarities, it's true -- Jon Windle's lyrics fixate on everyday concerns like obnoxious local bands, ex-girlfriends dating glam continental types, and on the brilliant single "House Party at Boothy's," the kind of weekend nights that are ended by the cops -- but musically, Little Man Tate are part of a long and proud musical tradition. Pitching out swaggering, guitar-based tunes with echoes of Blur, the Stone Roses, the Dentists, the Jam and all the way back to vintage Face to Face-era Kinks, Little Man Tate are the latest in a long and proud line of U.K. power pop acts, with little of the post-punk revival spikiness of the Arctic Monkeys and a solid knack for singalong choruses. Nearly every song on About What You Know sounds like a potential single; indeed, early versions of many were released as such prior to the band's signing to the V2 label. Other highlights include the jumpy "Three Day Rule," a song about calling a girl after a date that sounds like vintage late '70s power pop given only the slightest modern makeover. It's not at all surprising that the album cover for About What You Know pictures the band browsing in a vintage record store: Little Man Tate are the sort of band who sound as if they have consumed and synthesized whole chunks of pop history, turning this knowledge into bright and hummable three minute pop songs that vaguely recall any number of earlier bands while, crucially, not overtly aping any single group. As a result, About What You Know is the first great British pop album of 2007.
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| 01. |  |
Man I Hate Your Band |
3:36 |
|
| 02. | |
European Lover |
3:13 |
|
| 03. | |
Sexy In Latin |
3:22 |
|
| 04. | |
This Must Be Love |
3:20 |
|
| 05. | |
House Party at Boothy's |
4:10 |
|
| 06. | |
Who Invented These Lists? |
2:54 |
|
| 07. | |
Court Report |
3:44 |
|
| 08. | |
Little Big Man |
3:10 |
|
| 09. | |
3 Day Rule |
2:22 |
|
| 10. | |
This Girl Isn't My Girlfriend |
3:03 |
|
| 11. | |
Down On Marie |
3:19 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 36:13 Total Length
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Credits
- Clive Goddard - Mixing // Cenzo Townshend - Mixing // Tom Sheehan - Photography // Eliot James - Producer
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