CD of The Week

Hey, remember The Ting Tings? They put out that record called We Started Nothing in 2008 that featured such songs as “Shut Up and Let Me Go” and “That’s Not My Name”. Well, good news, they’re still a band, and they’re still making music. In fact, they’ve recorded a new album! It’s called Sounds From Nowheresville, and since it’s been four years, I’m willing to bet their fans are curious to hear what they’ve been up to.

They moved to Berlin in 2009 with hopes of putting out a record that’d be influenced by the local music scene, but that didn’t happen. In fact, they had songs, but deleted them totally when they were not satisfied. They eventually started recording in Spain, and Sounds was born.

The record itself actually reminds me a lot of the first one, in that there are a bunch of strong tracks, but there are others that fall flat. The opener “Silence” acts a great intro to the record, followed by “Hit Me Down Sonny,” which is a perfect Ting Tings song, with it’s fun beat, and Katie White’s awesome vocals/rapping abilities. It makes you want to dance, and the album continues that way with “Hang It Up” and “Give It Up.”

One of the most creative tracks on the record is “Guggenheim,” with White’s spoken words over a simple bass line, but then it explodes, with the exclamation “This time I’m gonna get it right / I’m gonna paint my face like the Guggenheim.” Throw in the reggae influenced “Soul Killing” and the electronic “One By One” (which was actually saved from the Berlin sessions), and they have a good record.

But it’s the last three tracks that are kind of puzzling to me. “Day to Day,” “Help,” and “In Your Life” just don’t fit with the others. I love The Ting Tings when they’re fun and upbeat, and these songs are not. I can’t fault them for trying to throw something different on the record, but their fun music is just so much more... fun!

This record deserves a listen, after all, it has been four years! When you do, get up, dance, and have fun, because that’s what The Ting Tings are! Use the last three as a breather, because if you enjoy the great tracks on the record as much as I do, you’ll certainly need it. Catch The Ting Tings live in Philadelphia atThe Trocaderoon April 13th.