Artist: Little Comets
Title: In Search Of Elusive Little Comets
Label: Dirty Hit
Genre: Indie
Bitrate: 201kbit av.
Time: 00:34:39
Size: 52.28 mb
Rip Date: 2011-01-15
Str Date: 2011-01-31
01. Adultery 3:01
02. One Night In October 3:23
03. Joanna 3:09
04. Her Black Eyes 4:00
05. Isles 2:43
06. Darling Alistair 2:49
07. Tricolour 2:32
08. Post Time 3:17
09. Dancing Song 2:29
10. Mathilda 3:06
11. Intelligent Animals 4:10
Release Notes:
Your debut single tanks. Or maybe itÆs not really that bad: it just
doesnÆt move as many units as your major record company would like. So
your band gets dropped (and your oh so lovable former label holds your
album hostage). Lesser bands get knocked over and never recover from
such disappointment and heartbreak, but NewcastleÆs Little Comets seem
to have taken getting cut from ColumbiaÆs roster in stride. The proof:
their engaging debut album released at the end of this month, æIn
Search of Elusive Little CometsÆ.
The spirited Geordie foursome û brothers Robert (lead vocals and
guitar) and Michael (lead guitar) Coles, Matt Hall (bass) and Mark
Harle (drums) û have put together a set of 11 songs that for the most
part is good stuff and definitely worth checking out. This album is a
refreshing kick in the pants, so much that I was having trouble coming
up with a way to explain this bandÆs sound. Instead, IÆm going for a
more primitive, less intellectual explanation. John Lennon famously
once described the source of the BeatlesÆ name as from them playing
ôbeat musicö, and such a description seems appropriate for Little
Comets. There is no escaping the relentless drumming and bass lines,
and indeed, even the bouncy, sometimes jarring staccato vocal delivery
of Robert Coles. Saying this is merely pop music would be doing this
band a great disservice, as this is far smarter and complex than the
average pop album these days.
At their best moments, Little Comets make your pulse race as your heart
soars, thanks to fun melodies and thumping beats. æJoannaÆ, which
initially may be difficult for your brain to process because of Robert
ColesÆs yelping, will quickly burrow into your mind, eventually causing
random fits of dancing around your room/office/in your car, arms in the
air. As its name suggests, æDancing SongÆ doesnÆt disappoint; æOne
Night in OctoberÆ (promo video below) and the topically more serious
æAdulteryÆ donÆt either, and I expect punters to be pogoing to these
numbers as the band goes on tour in support of this release in the
coming weeks
The most interesting tracks on æIn Search of Elusive Little CometsÆ are
æLost TimeÆ, a song utilising, what else, thudding bass and drums (as
well synths) to propel the romantic storyline, and æIslesÆ, which is a
bittersweet æletterÆ to the British public, warning against
complacency. I smiled hearing the latter for the first time, as it
reminded me of MorrisseyÆs name-checking British cities in the SmithsÆ
æPanicÆ, this song even contains the line ôpanic in the streetsö but
mostly mentions non-English towns (examples: Dundee, Glasgow, and
Cardiff).
Less successful is where the band strays from the rhythm-driven
formula. While featuring admirable guitar work, the æHer Black EyesÆ
falls flat against the dancier numbers. æIntelligent AnimalsÆ is an
admirable stab at bringing attention to the death and destruction from
the ongoing civil war in Darfur, Africa. But itÆs a disappointing way
to end a pop album. And although æTricolourÆ has a tropical beat vibe,
itÆs almost like the band is trying too hard with the recipe, resulting
in a second-rate caricature of their other, better songs. But these are
lesser offences and should be forgiven when considering the album as a
whole. There is plenty of evidence on this recording that Little Comets
have fine songwriting talent, so much that Columbia execs should be
kicking themselves right about now for letting them go.
2010 was a banner year of Manchester bands. My prediction for 2011:
itÆs time for the bands from the Northeast to shine. With a strong
debut from NewcastleÆs Little Comets, the case is made for us to take a
closer look at that region of England, for IÆm sure there are plenty of
other gems of bands just waiting to be discovered from there.