Album title:
Start Again
Artist:
The Singles
Label:
Sound Artifacts
Don't you just love rock 'n' roll revivalism? No? Well, rink-a-dink power-poppers The Singles certainly do. The Detroit-based trio's second LP, Start Again, is glazed with infectious, toe-tapping odes to historically vaunted luminaries like Holly, Berry and The Byrds, without ever scratching the surface of their pristinely polished veneer. There's nothing innately grating amidst this energetic assortment of jingling guitar and lofted percussion yet, as love-pining tracks like The Most Beautiful Gjrl and Cryin' Over You smooch cosily into one another like a salivating room of 50s disco desperados, it's apparent there's little more on offer here than inoffensive melodic pastiche. Ignoring the stunted, tin-pot production, Hypnotized and Start Again's hyper-charged hooks at least instil some much needed zest into this humdrum affair but, having created a record jam-packed with tedious retrospective tunesmithery, it seems The Singles won't be going home with anyone but themselves for quite some time. [Billy Hamilton]