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"We've Got A File On You" is part of a Damon Albarn tradition going all the way back to Modern Life Is Rubbish - the obligatory punky tune!
See for yourself:
Modern Life Is Rubbish - "Coping", "Advert"
Parklife - "Bank Holiday"
The Great Escape - "Globe Alone"
Blur - "Chinese Bombs", "Song 2"
13 - "B.L.U.R.E.M.I.", "Bugman"
Gorillaz - "Punk"
Think Tank - "We've Got A File On You", "Crazy Beat"
I've been listening to the album a bit, and it's slowly growing on me. This is how I'd rate the songs -
"Ambulance" gets things off to an awkward start. It starts out interestingly, has some interesting changes, but the song never quite gels. I'm not counting this one out, because I've got the feeling it might make sense to me at a later date, but as it is right now, it's just the song I have to wait through til the album really gets started.
"Out Of Time" is a pretty one, I quite like it. The odd sounds in the background throughout the song add some atmosphere that I like, but I get the feeling that it was tacked on so that the song wouldn't sound so pretty and old fashioned. There's some very pretty keyboard and percussion parts on this song, and the solo is very nicely done.
"Crazy Beat" - Eh. It's okay, I guess. It seems a little too formulaic, a little too much like a "Song 2"/"Bugman" rewrite. It's fun and catchy, but nothing very special. I would think that a song like this comes very easily to Albarn.
"Good Song" was one of the first to really grow on me. It's appropriately titled - it's not "Great Song", it's not "Amazing Song", it's just "Good Song". It's just a pretty little tune that drifts along and floats away, sorta reminiscent of "Blue Jean", my favorite song from Modern Life Is Rubbish. The part towards the end with Damon singing some scatty falsetto reminds me quite a bit of "If God Will Send His Angels" from U2's POP album.
"On The Way To The Club" was the first song that really grabbed me, mostly because the vocal melody sounds a lot like "19-2000" and I already love that song. The music is a suprisingly respectable approximation of afrobeat, and I think some of the keyboard parts in this song are to die for. This is probably going to remain my favorite song from this album.
Someone on ILM said that "Brothers And Sisters" sounded like Blur trying to be Primal Scream, and I'd agree with that. This song does sound a bit like the XTRMNTR album, particularly when Damon's doing the sing-song part over the fuzzy bassline. There's more really great keyboard tones on this song, and the darker vibe of the song really works for me. I think this is one of the most successful songs on the record.
"Caravan" is a really bore, I think. It just sorta meanders along, and reminds me of the equally sluggish "Caramel" from 13. There's some nice guitars, keyboard parts, and a nice effect on the vocal, but this song isn't much more than the sum of its parts.
"We've Got A File On You" - Well, it's only a minute long. It just sorta comes and goes, and at least serves to wake us up a bit after "Caravan". Otherwise, it's nothing special.
"Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club" - This one really snuck up on me. The first few times I heard it, I wrote it off as being meandering and dull, but then it clicked with me in a big way. This is very intense number, and I imagine that it would be really impressive live even if it'd be a bit of a floor-clearer. It's a bit like "Battle" from 13 that way. If you never got to see them play that one live, that's a real shame.
"Sweet Song" - Yeah, it's pretty much exactly what it says it is. This is probably the most delicate and lovey-dovey ballad that Damon's ever penned. I love the distant-sounding effect on the piano, and Damon's voice is very pretty too, especially when he sings "people get so lonely". It's a bit lightweight, but it works for me.
"Jets" - Nice guitar parts, good bassline, interesting production, but it hasn't really come together for me yet. It might help if it were a few minutes shorter.
The song listed as "Gene By Gene" but is actually "My White Noise" - Eh. This one hasn't done much for me, and I can't see why it's on the record. I don't understand the point of hidden tracks. If it's not good enough to be on the album, why put it on the cd?
The song listed as "Battery In Your Leg" but is actually "Gene By Gene" - Ah, this is a great one. Nice melody, nice sound all around. I take it back, this is probably my favorite on the album.
The song listed as "My White Noise" but is actually "Battery In Your Leg" - Eh. It's alright. I might grow into this one a bit, but probably not all that much. It's just kinda boring. |
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