The Maccabees - First Love (Polydor)
5/5
By: Gareth Roberts
Ever since I heard 'X-ray' late last year, I've been unsure what to make of the Maccabees. A friend of mine who is rarely wrong when it comes to music informed me in no uncertain terms that it was their only good song, and that they were essentially, no good. However, 'Latchmere' soon followed and it began to dawn on me that these lads might be onto something.
With 'First Love' they've well and truly proved any doubts to be nothing more than absolute bollocks. Whilst other releases contained all the staple ingredients of a catchy pop song, formulaic is a little harsh, but there was nothing really... different about them. 'First Love' is the complete opposite, rather than sounding like a great deal of thought has gone into it, you can't help but get the impression that this is the sound of Orlando Weeks curling up in a ball, an emotional wreck, and spouting out his inner most feelings, which have somehow managed to manifest themselves in the form of one of the best songs I have heard in some time.
Sounding like a glorious concoction of Stellastarr* and The Futureheads, yet regaining a sense of individuality which a lot of other bands would kill for, it whips you into a ball of tension for which the only relief is to get up and jump around like an idiot. So, it is with a red face that I admit that any doubts I had about this band have been washed away in a wave of sharp pop brilliance, to quote Weeks, "It's my mistake and I could take it back if I could." As punishment for my error I am now going to listen to the Milburn album in full.
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