La Roux – Automatic Driver

“Maybe you’re expecting too much?”

Tom: In For The Kill is more than ten years old now. 

Tim: Huh – I’m fairly sure you’re saying that as a “God, that’s a long time”, but I think I’d actually have placed it as older than that. But anyway, she’s still on!

Tom: Possibly controversial opinion: this is a song that perpetually feels like it’s about to go somewhere, and then doesn’t.

Tim: Controversial maybe, but I won’t disagree with you. On the other hand, In For The Kill, and much of their other stuff, never really went in for Big Banging Numbers, and I think this is the same. Maybe you’re expecting too much?

Tom: It is absolutely full of promise. The production is incredible, the vocals are great, and the whole track sounds suitably modern and retro at the same time. It’s even got a repeat-until-fade!

Tim: Indeed, because everything it wants to do is right there.

Tom: It’s just that the chorus sounds like a verse to me: perhaps because there’s not much differentiation between the two.

Tim: No – but nonetheless, it sounds okay. 

La Roux feat. Kanye West – In For The Kill

What’s he blithering about?

Tom: You remember ‘In For The Kill‘, right? Gorgeous, soaring vocals; brilliant danceable beat; and a brilliant remix where the beat doesn’t actually drop until four minutes in. What more could this possibly need?

Tim: I would guess, but I’m fairly sure you’re going to tell me. Or perhaps this is a trap.

Tom: If you answered ‘Kanye West’, then you’re so, so wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnndreXqZcI

Tom: Did he actually ask to do this? Or did he just turn up during a recording session, steal the microphone, and start babbling into it? This isn’t just a cover version – the whole original song’s been rerecorded.

Werewolves? Vampires? What’s he blithering about? For the whole time he’s rapping, all I can think is get back to the original track.

Tim: Well, you know, vampires and werewolves kill things, so going in for the kill works, maybe. Mind you, by that logic someone should make a song about Harold Shipman.

Tom: It’s been done. By a man who was convicted for abusing 14-year-olds. That really puts Kanye’s mic-grabbing and song-ruining into a better light, really.

Tim: True, although if it takes a convicted paedophile’s horrendous-taste song to put you in a better light, then…actually, I how no idea how to finish that sentence.

Tom: Anyway, I’m not just criticising Kanye West because he’s Kanye West – although there’s plenty of reasons to. His version of Daft Punk’s Harder Better Faster Stronger was pretty good, and despite the ego he does make some good tracks. This, though… this is not one of them.

Tim: No. Just…SHUT UP YOU STUPID RAPPER. Bloody hell. And what’s with the grunting noises at two minutes? It’s…uurgh.