"I guess I have a weakness for pop with 'real' or self-consciously 'British/English' lyrics
I might get shouted down for this, because amongst my friends opinion is sorely divided, and I can honestly see why it irritates the fuck out of some people, but "Original Pirate Material" by The Streets. I bought this album because my sister had requested it for her birthday, and I was thinking, "well, this might be alright but it's blatantly going to be too much like some shitty bogstandard UK garage thing for me to really get into it", listened to it once and was blown away, and have since gone out and bought a copy for myself.
I mention it because it's pop as fuck (it is dance music, but the tracks are definitely songs rather than 'choons'), very real and incredibly English. Its Englishness is more about kebabs and geezerdom than yer quirky eccentric thang, tho'. Anyway, the production is incredibly accomplished, the lyrics are generally hilarious but genuinely moving on a few songs, all delivered in a style that owes a lot to hip hop but is so far removed from any 'wiggerdom' as to be utterly unique. This is the sticking point though: it does sound like some bloke off a council estate ranting (just in terms of the accent and language used, technically I think it's great, and very witty, as mentioned), which I love, it complements the content and general aesthetic perfectly.
Musically it's been compared to two tone, particularly The Specials, which I think is accurate, it's got that "sounds of the suburbs" thing going on.
Here's a sample verse so you can get an idea of whether you'll dig it:
"Now, getting to the bar's going to be trouble,
So the marlons'll have to be doubles
Then you drink doubles the same speed you drink singles
Ah, beautiful! The barman holds aloft a crystal glass,
And I'm having all that's in the bottom of the bottle.
Then by three or four your head's a bit mangled,
Club's full, you mingle,
You dance the fandango, you sing all your favourite jingles
Far gone on one, call me Baron von Marlon,
One has monocle and cigar, dickie-bow and long johns
My utility belt tells me it's to the bar, Batman
Fat cans of that lager, then it's straight to the bar
For much more, fancy footwork's adored by many amour,
Don't bore me with your little sidestep technique,
get to the beat, loosen up, it's The Streets!
[sung chorus]
In its own little way my body was trying to say
That you'd better stop drinking brandy"
"Marlon" I guess must be slang for "round", but I've never heard it before. IMO that verse perfectly captures the glory of booning around a club on a cocktail of intoxicants.
If you're not convinced enough to splash out I'll happily send you a tape, or, as others have said, do a mixtape or burn a cd.
Oh yeah - female vocals - the last pj harvey album is rilly good, but you probably know that already. |
