Standard Fare's debut was a bit of a mixed bag, with about half the songs being bona fide pop gems and half being fairly uninspired pop-rock. The first 5 or so songs were probably the strongest opening salvo of any album released last year, and the pick of them was Fifteen, a song about seducing a younger boy from the point of view of the 22-year-old singer, Emma Kupa. The song looks at her struggle between what is morally acceptable and her own desires. Her vocals occasionally interlock with those of guitarist Danny on other tracks on the album (who I think has one of the best voices in modern indiepop - he really should sing more than he does), but here Emma takes the whole vocal line herself, which works perfectly with the jangly, driving backing. Standard Fare have the potential to make a genuinely brilliant second album - their live set is excellent, they clearly have a great ear for melody, and they've built up a cult following in the indiepop scenes of both London and their native Sheffield. They're one of the most fun bands around at the moment.
Standard Fare – Fifteen
No comments:
Post a Comment