Fagan – Seventeen
There are certain things that the British do better than most and for which they are famous the world over. Colonialism, drinking tea, complaining about the weather, producing stylish guitar-lead dance tunes, and football.
Naturally, only some of those elements in which the British hold superiority to practically every other nation can be exported. The catchy guitar tunes, however, have acted as veritable emissaries Ol’ Limey throughout the entire world for almost 70 years. Sure, they might not get any points in the Eurovision as things stand, but just send a well-dressed lad with a guitar there are see what happens.
Fagan’s Seventeen seems engineered on the Queen’s orders to integrate many of the very best elements of British rock. It’s quick, danceable, and as morose as someone having to eat their fish and chips out off of a paper plate. The Brits still have a knack for these kinds of things.
Crocodyle – I Feel Good
Modern songs should all be about wanting to celebrate life or feeling miserable and desiring to die. Everything in between is really a waste of time. Sure, you get your immersive concept albums and works of musical philosophy along the way, but pop music is, essentially, music about finding something good and then losing it.
It takes a whole lot of work and a mighty active imagination to write intelligent rock music. It does because, essentially, this approach goes beyond modern music’s very nature. Like Lou Reed, a man used to having critics worshipping the very ground he walked on knew that if one chord can do the job, it’s precisely one chord that is needed.
Treat Crocodyle’s I Feel Good the same way that you would treat your espresso shot in the morning. It might not be a substitute for a healthy breakfast, but you are surely not getting out of that bed without it. It’s garage-rock for kids in clean, expensive shoes, and it is designed to get things moving.
