May 20, 2008
Much Ado About Nothing
If you thought the 80s revival had run out of steam, a handful of recent releases (Santogold and M83 are but two) have delivered some pretty fabulous facsimiles of the Me Decade’s irresistible, pogo-friendly grooves. Now comes We Started Nothing, the debut from U.K. dance-rock band The Ting Tings — a feisty male-female duo who have a very promising future if they keep on pimping the sounds of yesteryear with such verve and finesse.
In a league with No Doubt’s Rock Steady, The Ting Ting’s ten tracks add up to an ace combination of punkish attitude, eager-beaver dance beats and old-fashioned pop hooks. “That’s Not My Name” works an insanely catchy cheerleader-chant chorus; “Keep Your Head” will have you dancing like Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club; and the beautifully quirky “Traffic Light” proves the group can take down the tempo and break out the acoustic guitars but still not kill your buzz. And they’ve saved the best for last with a horned-up title track that goes on for more than six minutes — and still feels too short. Play it again, Ting Tings!
We Started Nothing is available digitally today, and on CD June 3, from Columbia/Red Ink.
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