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Avg: 3.5 (41 ratings)
- Date Released: May 6, 2008
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Label: Rough Trade
Sophomore outing from Sheffield’s favorites leans heavily on willfuly detached art-pop.
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We Say...
“Couples”, the follow-up to this Sheffield-formed band’s sharp 2006 debut Someone to Drive You Home, arrives with its title swaddled in quotation marks, as if to reinforce its sense of detachment and cool irony. The emphasis wasn’t necessary: this is an icy, haughty offering, giving off the impression that it’d be deeply shamed to admit to experiencing an emotion. While such aloofness might merit criticism in most genres, in the world of Pop Art it’s a badge of honour. And Pop Art — or at least art-pop — is what the Long Blondes most certainly aspire to be.
If Blondie were the epitome of self-conscious Warhol-influenced pop, all attractive surfaces and a narcissistic refusal to acknowledge the true turmoil of angst, their modern-day heirs are every bit as clinically effective. Erol Alkan’s production is willfully one-dimensional; Kate Jackson’s vocals are precise and thin. As the band look down their noses at the frantic sweatiness of most rock, the results resonate with chilly sexuality. Almost every track deals with foiled lust and dysfunctional romance while tinting its voyeurism with a dash of grim, Jarvis Cocker-like realism.
There’s an '80s sheen to the slim-line sonics: you can detect Soft Cell or Human League in the clipped rhythms of “Nostalgia” or the pre-emptively titled “Too Clever By Half.” “Guilt” and “I Liked the Boys” are equal parts caustic and confessional. They’re in love with retro-futurism. Only on “Round the Hairpin” do they take a darker twist, throwing Banshees-esque shards of guitar and primal drums into the equation.
It’s not an easy trick to pull off, this deadpan silk-screening of the passions which drive pop home. Yet the Long Blondes have it down so fine they may be the glassy gurus of a new blank generation. “Couples” is a singular success. -
They Say...
The Long Blondes' second album, Couples, avoids the clichéd sophomore slump by taking some chances and leaving behind the joyous clatter and clutter of their debut for a more emotionally powerful, sonically adventurous approach. With producer Erol Alkan behind the boards, the group removes the punk from its post-punk sound and adds more post. That is, more icy detachment, more space and careful arrangement of instruments, and more of an eye to the disco-punk dancefloor. Where the songs on Someone to Drive You Home were almost giddily peppy and bursting with energy, the songs here feel like they were taken right from the studio, stored in a freezer for a month, and then mastered onto disc. (Think the Blondie of "X Offender" versus the Blondie of "Heart of Glass" for a quick and relevant comparison.) Even the songs like "Erin O'Connor" that start off with some fire and spunk end up being bathed in atmosphere before too long. While the decision is a risky one that might put off fans looking for Someone II or a song as addictive as "Once and Never Again," ultimately it is a wise move that shows a band intent on making interesting albums and not just rehashing the same territory. Not that the group has forsaken catchy tunes or made an unlistenable record. Not by a long shot. There are still plenty of strong melodies and catchy songs to hold on to, still songs you'd want to drop into a playlist -- like the hopeful, un-nostalgic "Nostalgia" or "I'm Going to Hell," a stomping rocker that is most reminiscent of the songs on Someone. "Guilt" is likely the song that will stick, riding a funky backbeat and a hooky chorus deep into the memory banks. So, the sound of the album is arresting and the songs are good, but the true star of the album is vocalist Kate Jackson. She showed herself to be quite adept at delivering punky pop songs on Someone; on Couples she blooms into a quite impressive interpreter of lyrics. Perhaps her ability to inhabit different characters (like the desperate lover on the lam on the harrowing "Round the Hairpin" or the sad nightclub philosopher on "The Couples") comes from singing guitarist Dorian Cox's lyrics and not her own (she only wrote words for two of the ten tracks), or maybe she's destined to become an actress like her Charlie's Angels namesake. Either way, she makes each song come alive beautifully, and her alternately tough and tender (to the point of fragile beauty on the heartbreaking "Too Clever by Half") vocals help make the album an impressive triumph over the age-old dilemma of how to follow up a successful debut. It also strikes a blow for taking chances and not resting on your accomplishments, but most importantly, Couples is an exciting, challenging listen full of brains, daring, and plenty of icy heart.
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| 01. |  |
Century |
5:36 |
|
| 02. | |
Guilt |
4:34 |
|
| 03. | |
The Couples |
3:37 |
|
| 04. | |
I Liked The Boys |
1:58 |
|
| 05. | |
Here Comes The Serious Bit |
2:48 |
|
| 06. | |
Round The Hairpin |
5:42 |
|
| 07. | |
Too Clever By Half |
4:25 |
|
| 08. | |
Erin O’Connor |
3:08 |
|
| 09. | |
Nostalgia |
3:12 |
|
| 10. | |
I’m Going To Hell |
5:58 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 40:58 Total Length
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Credits
- Jimmy Robertson - Engineer // Jimmy Robertson - Mixing // Nick Terry - Mixing // Guy Davie - Mastering // Paul Harris - Assistant // Erol Alkan - Producer // Erol Alkan - Mixing // Kate Jackson - Artwork // Mark "Elton" Alloway - Assistant // Steve Harries - Photography // John Sephton - Assistant
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