THE COURTEENERS – Not 19 Forever
Fourth single from Manchester’s alleged new saviours, and their best to date. While the album might not provide the full Britpop renaissance some had hoped for, this shows the band at their best, which although isn’t going to break any boundaries, will be quite enough for the Topshop bopping crowd. 8/10
FOO FIGHTERS – Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)
While all these years later Dave Grohl still remains one of the most enigmatic men in Rock n Roll, unfortunately you can’t say the same about the music. This is pure Foo Fighters by numbers, straight out of the textbook. Completely harmless, but then that’s the main problem with it. 6/10
BLOOD RED SHOES – Say Something, Say Anything
It might be trailing the album that’s finally being released after three long years, but compared to previous singles this is lacking the raw punch and spark that first brought the duo to our attention. Despite that though they remain one of the best live bands around so we look forward to the album with anticipation. 6/10
BLACK KIDS – I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
We got a lot to thank Bernard Butler for over the years, and now you can add this lot to the list. The fresh faced bunch from Florida have been given the one over by the former Suede man turned producer and the result is superb. Sparkling with the innocence of youth, these kids will go a long way with tunes like this. 9/10