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Dogs Die In Hot CarsPlease Describe Yourself FMR/V2 Stick with me here, I need to do this the long way around. 1990 saw the release of an amazing album, one which is still very close to my heart. Strains of The Who, The Beatles and The Kinks gave The La's debut a timeless, classic quality. Now I am willing to admit that, no matter how brilliant, The La's were a naughty little band who cleverly amalgamated the music of their heroes for a new generation. I can also accept that I was a little more naive back then and didn't fully realise the shameless recycling going on. I am not so naive anymore and do not give the same credence to the 'take your favourite bands and staple!' attitude as I once did. Cue the latest entry in pastiche: Scotland's Dogs Die In Hot Cars initially sounds like just another entry from a band without a sense of experimentation. Godhopping and Celebrity Sanctum sound so much like XTC that it would make Andy Partridge weep. Paul Newman's Eyes sounds like a hidden track off Dexy's Midnight Runners 'Too-Rye-Ay'. I am sure there is a song on Talking Head's 'Naked' that sounds just like the urgent Apples & Oranges. For this reason the alchemy of Dogs Die In Hot Cars initially drew my ire, and part of me stands by that cynicism. You might be able to sense that this sentence is going to end in a but... To me, the power of 'Please Describe Yourself' is that somewhere along the way I gave up caring about its derivative nature. It is amazing what an over abundance of tight, clever and witty pop tunes can do. That at least they have in common with The La's. They may well be guilty of getting late onto the 'retro' band wagon but ultimately this 'smile in the corner of your mouth' kind of music rises way above the inevitable comparisons. Maybe it's good to be a little naive sometimes.  |
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