Releasd 27th October- Vertigo Records 

Every rational part of me says this is what it is: a steaming pile of turd that should have stayed where it came from; the 80’s bargain, baggy-shirted basement.

 It has one of the worst, most contrived, opening lines ever produced in what is love but the strangest of feelings/ a sin you swallow for the rest of your life. The lyrical output doesn’t get any better, with Jonny ‘I Rule’ Borrell making smug reference to the girl who lives on ‘disillusion road’, as though he is very proud of himself for flagrantly lifting a sound-a-like phrase from a really much better song (‘Desolation Row’ by Dylan). If the stories are correct, he’s so proud of his lyrical kleptomania, he’s
going to have the sodding phrase tattooed on himself.  

It’s not particularly interesting, for the most part the only instrumnts behind Jonny’s wise wail are quiet drums, piano and some kind of horned instrument that makes a far away oh-ooh sound.  It also has a shocking video, with the Big Guy walking round a dark studio in an oversized white shirt, his wonky teeth lit up only by a single match as his other less important band members fade in and out in the background, each of them lit also by the-shock horror!- light of a single match. It’s fucking awful. Again, sub-80’s pop wank.


Yet, despite all this, despite the fact I hate this song, this video.  Despite the fact I’d happily give Borrell the rope with which to hang himself, despite all my better judgment, the judgement that normally disallows me to like this type of tripe, I really like this song. Genuinely, not even in the ironic way I might like ‘Take On Me’ (who doesn’t) or ‘Turn Me On’ (I should probably stop now).   When the break comes,  the drums get loud and Jonny and the backing singers harmonise like they really bloody mean it, I can imagine myself, arms in the air, eyes closed, tunelessly screeching love me/ wherever you arrrrre.

What all this says about me, I don’t know.   Frankly, I don’t want to know.  Perhaps I need a good slap and a telling off. That or a shag. Either way, it’s official. I like‘Wire to Wire’.  Someone pass me the whisky.

Posted In Single Reviews, Oct 30 2008. Words - David