Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
If James Murphy started a clubnight - while The Rapture and !!! were out of town, of course - then surely Friendly Fires would be his choice for house band
Essentially, Friendly Fires do just one thing, but they do it well. The St Albans trio make superb party music - funky, unpretentious, danceable - if your repertoire extends beyond the standard rhythmic feet-shuffling. Look elsewhere for introspection; this is adrenaline-fuelled, angst-free indie-disco. If James Murphy started a clubnight - while The Rapture and !!! were out of town, of course - Friendly Fires would surely be his choice for house band. Surprisingly, the breakthrough single Paris is one of the weaker moments on this punchy ten-track romp, its syrupy sentiment wiped up by the metallic guitar of opener Jump in the Pool, the DEVO-ish beat of White Diamonds and the somehow ragged-yet-slick groove of Photobooth, the most energising essence of their cowbell-heavy aesthetic. Friendly Fires' stylistic limitations prevent this being any more than good, but it'll surely find a home in many a DJ's flightcase. [Nick Mitchell]
Friendly Fires play King Tut's, Glasgow on 20 Sep
http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfires