Singled out
Sandi Thom – ‘The Devil’s Beat’
Two years on from ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker’, it’s time for critics to wipe their Sandi Thom slate clean. When it comes to moving on from her No.1 debut, ‘The Devil’s Beat’ is a good start – it’s just as catchy, but far less hateful. The track comes with an “environmentally friendly” sticker, using a country-pop-folk jaunt to tackle the perils of climate change. Thankfully the message is well hidden, even if lyrics like, "Well the devil's got us rolling a six-sided dice/And it's burning up the oils and melting the ice" stick out like Elvis in a recycling bin. But at an economical two-and-a-bit minutes long, it’s a decent advert for pop and a timely return for wee Sandi.
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The Ting Tings – ‘That's Not My Name’
Hailed as new indie saviours in some quarters, this Salford duo have a winning way with a chorus and tick all the fashionably scuzzy boxes. There's a post-Saffron-from-Republica yelping female vocal, a cheap guitar sound and some pedestrian beats that make listeners nod their heads rather than jump around insanely. It's basically The Knack's ‘My Sharona’ for 2008, but much more self-consciously cool and with an outro that goes on far too long. The best thing about it? Rather than what she’s actually singing, the chorus sounds like, "Next time I knit…"
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