The Ting Tings - Sounds From Nowheresville

I was certainly aware of the TTs hits since their debut dropped a few years ago, but I never did listen the full release. So I have a bit of a fresher perspective for this one. I don't, however, know why I keep painting myself into these chick-singing corners only to bitch about listening to chick singers. I'll try to at least downplay that here.

As it kicks off, I find myself a fan of the fist track, "Silence". Not so much the lyrical sentiment, which is little more than the chain-coffeehouse-philosophy of "Listen to your silence." But the new-wave-noise-wave builds into a clean-reverb dream by the songs end. The next track is far more hip-hop influenced. "Hit Me Down Sonny" even has a Beck roll in its verses.

The next couple of songs have nothing wrong with them, but become completely irrelevant once "Guggenheim" comes on. A simple-ish relationship story told with a strutting bass/rim-shot. But when the chorus kicks in, it sounds like the Beastie Boys producing Jack White. Or vice versa. Or both of them jamming with Lady Gaga. Maybe I've stopped making sense.

"One By One" is the most straight-ahead new wave throwback. It could easily be a Missing Persons cover. "Day By Day", with its acoustic-based riff, sounds like a deliberate attempt at a radio single that would not sound out of place on an album by Clarkson/Pink/Perry/Lavigne. "Help" follows the acoustic sound, and even though it power ballads it up before the end, it still.... completely sucks.

The album ends on a real down note. "In Your Life" is morbid and rhythm-less. It's fine, but an odd way for a party band to see the audience off. There's as many misses as hits on this short record, but with as strong a track as the one below, I'm ramping my review up a half-star. (3 of 5 stars)