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Funeral Party - 'Just Because'

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Fraser McAlpine | 10:42 UK time, Sunday, 29 August 2010

Funeral Party

Well this is, to quote a Rock Dad cliche, just a massive racket, isn't it? Half the time he's just screaming, there's not much in the way of a proper tune, and what tune there is, you can't really whistle. That's always the sign of proper quality in a song, a tune you can whistle, and maybe play the spoons along to. Stop huffing, you used to love it when I played the spoons!

I mean, yes, you can tell they're trying, and at least they've got proper guitars. You can't deny they really mean it, not like most of that pop rubbish you hear on the radio. All that Drizzly Rapscallion and Dustbin Beaver, that's just childish. But what are they shouting about? You can barely make out the words! He could be singing about tight shoes for all we know. Is that what rock 'n' roll has come to? Tsk! You kids don't know you're born!

Here, let's put some AC/DC on. That's much better.

(. It's like the One Night Only video, only less magicky)

Sorry, don't know what came over me there.

I guess the thing is, Rock Dad is quite right, this is a racket. It's a thrilling racket though.

Musical references fly past - it starts with an At The Drive In squonking blatterbeat 'n' huffscream thing, which resolves into something which is half Strokes tinkly ramalam, half Killers bulging steroidal gloss - and it's all played with total fury and conviction, and screaming.

These are all empirically Good Things. And when they kick the dynamics into gear, and swoop up from the ticky, considered verses into the flip-top head chorus, well it's a giddy thrill indeed. The fact that among all of these cool reference points lies a slightly stunned Pigeon Detective, holding a wing to its ears and wondering what all the shouting is about, should be neither here nor there.

As a dissonant rock noise, it's a hell of a pop song.

And of course, as a pop song, it's a hell of a noise.

Now, where's my Top Gear CD?

Four starsDownload: 30th August


´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

"They truly are a great band live too."

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    I am going to ignore all reviews until you correct yesterday's mess up.

    Finish Cold War PLEASE.

  • Comment number 2.

    Who cares!? I'm STILL waiting on 'Wonderful Life' by HURTS.

    Their début album 'Happiness' is available from Spetember 6.

    AND OMG! The Kylie Mingoue duet is immense! Truly, truly single quality, must've been why they kept it so underwraps until it leaked... it's now beem removed from literally everywhere.

  • Comment number 3.

    Oddie , the original review of Wonderful Life by Fraser , was released on the public in either December or January . This was its original limited edition release with original video that served as a sampler for the band . Maybe add a comment and bring it back to the Chart Blog consciousness .

  • Comment number 4.

    schooled there oddie.. i think i could really get into this band... also just want to reiterate how disappointing surfing the void is.. its bad.

  • Comment number 5.

    ghd is very good

  • Comment number 6.

    At 4 . What do you think Surfing The Void is bad , FK ?

  • Comment number 7.

    yes i think its bad... if you have mistyped and wanted to ask 'why' i thought that, i will copy and paste my post from the 'echos' bit:

    the new album is rather poor.. the same thing in almost every song: loud intro - brooding verse - kind of catchy chorus about space and universe stuff - repeat.. just makes me wonder what they would have released had the record label not forced them to make new stuff...

  • Comment number 8.

    Cheers . They haven't surpassed the benchmark set by Golden Skans . I feel the album will plummet after it's peak position of 10 .

  • Comment number 9.

    Moving off topic slightly >>>>>>>

    INTERPOL

    Now that the video to BARRICADE has been released and the release date of the single is 7 days away . and given the brilliance of said song , I have assessed the Radio 1 playlist and sincerely hope that it's added on Wednesday .

    Fantastic song !

  • Comment number 10.

    thats more like it spirit... eagerly awaiting interpol's 4th... reviews that i hav seen have been good so far.. Q gave it 4 stars... really excited about it

  • Comment number 11.

    I wouldn't be hopeful of that spirit. Radio 1's playlist has been so narrow recently, they either support bands like Interpol completely or not at all - and that's purely down to who they personally like.

    The playlist is really winding me up recently, I'm gonna send a message to them soon about it because some of their decisions this year have been utterly ridiculous.

  • Comment number 12.

    I would trust the playlist either. Remember 'All night long' ?

  • Comment number 13.

    But in fairness, the chart success of All Night Long proved it didn't need Radio 1's support. Alexandra Burke is an X Factor winner on her first album so she is guaranteed all the promo and airplay she'll ever need, so in a way I'm glad they shunned it in favour of other artists. Interpol on the other hand... yeah. Where's the support for them?

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