Reviewed by Sheila Dichoso
We can barely believe it’s been four years since the Ting Tings released their feverish debut, because it still sounds young and fresh. Back in 2008, We Started Nothing made us feel as badass as tripping cheerleaders stealing mascara at the mall, and that’s fine, but so very high school. Their sophomore album, Sounds From Nowheresville, has a more seasoned, sultry attitude.
After touring their electro butts off on Nothing, British duo Katie White and Jules de Martino hid in a German jazz club for nine months to record a full album, only to destroy it and begin again. The final, revised result is a sleek Manchester cake that’s been iced with frosting made from old ’90s mix tapes. Nowheresville features Beastie Boys bass and punk-rock blues on “Guggenheim,” which finds White screaming the in-your-face hook, “Some day I’m gonna get it right/I’m gonna paint my face at the Guggenheim!” Tracks like “Help” recall the polyphonies of Fleetwood Mac, and elsewhere, there’s even a little bit of pop-punk influence. And of course, the Ting Tings still love the drums, the drums, the drums, heard best on the banger “Hang it Up.” Then there’s “One by One,” which could be this year’s “Dancing On My Own.” While it doesn’t quite capture the same gut-wrenching emotion of Robyn’s tour de force, the anthemic jam will definitely get gaggles of gals on the floor, singing their little hearts out.
Image courtesy of Tom Oxley
