Tripping The Light Fantastic - Six O' Clock News
(All Rock 'N' Roll Speeds Up 2010)
"Overwhelmingly Jubilant"
I received this 7" record in the mail last week along with some other selections from a German 7-piece pop act and am quite impressed by it. Tripping The Light Fantastic isn't the sort of band that deserves to fly under the radar; their sound is sprightly, buoyant and charming. Their sound is meant to be savored with a smile: strikingly simple enough to satisfy the K Records aficionados and accessible enough to listen to with your pals. The band's most recent output, the Six O' Clock News single, is the finest cut from TTLF's catalog, a very polished effort that deserves more than a few spins on your turntable and many more replays in your head. This is some catchy stuff!
"Six O' Clock News" packs a lot of punch into its short time span. It's overwhelmingly jubilant, handclaps and clattering tambourines bouncing along with acoustic chords, building up to a chorus that sounds like a more minimal Joy Formidable. There's a mystery noise in the mix that I can't quite pick out. Is it a kazoo? A synthesizer? A procession of bugle-toting tin soldiers? I'm not sure, but it sounds groovy. If you happen to drop the needle on side B, you'll hear "The Spit", a gritty track that could have appeared on Beat Happening's Black Candy. There are some crunchy rhythm guitars and neat breakdowns. Like many b-sides, it's a track that leans to the band's quirkier side and is a interesting listen. What I liked most about this record was the cover art. The minimalist artwork is New Yorker-esque, modern and retro at the same time. You can't judge a single by its cover, but an exception can be made for this one.
