The Cooper Temple Clause - 'Waiting Game'
Hmm. Now here's a pickle. Over the sprawling course of their first two albums, the Coopers spent a great deal of time stuffing violent songsmithery, nasty rock noise and and skyscrape-soundscapes into a series of mind-boggling (and very well stuffed) song packages, which trained pop scientists have taken to calling sausonges.
Then they went away for a while (see the CTC ChartBlog interview for details), and now they're back, with a new album, and this, the second single to be taken from it. And does it sound like another one of their sausonges? Perhaps a sausonge with some snippets of classic old records from yesteryear on the side? Making it (cough) a SAUSONGE AND MASH-UP? WITH RAVY GRAVY? Well, no.
What it sounds like is a great big heartfelt indie pop song with a touch of the U2s to it, and it's been made by men, not crying teenagers. By which I mean it's got an enormous chorus which is all yearning and huge like the Killers would do, only it doesn't sound pained and squeaky (some of my best friends are crying teenagers, honest!).
It also has some suitably dark and moody verses so you don't think they've got the professional songwriters in to help them sell a few records. All in all, it's a nicely made, modern sounding anthemic rock song. Indie lovers will rush to call it 'important', assuming it sells, and everyone in the band, especially their mums, will be very pleased.
Shame they couldn't have thrown in just one wonky squonk-fest at the end, or something, mind...that would rule.
Released: January 8th
Oh, and there's also a medley of some of the interesting sounds they've put on their new album 'Make This Your Own'. Click here for the selected highlights...
(Fraser M)