Originally written by Rachel Cawley · 15 May 2006
Blood Red Shoes
ADHD
Label: Try Harder Release Date: 15/05/2006
“I’m so / I’m so Distracted / Can’t concentrate on anything at all” sing the terminally twitching youths, fed on a culture of short attention spans and attention-seeking behaviour. But you, audience, how could you not concentrate on this?
Just two persons plus their respective instruments; four elements engaged in a serious playground tussle. The guitar is a bully, all sharks-teeth points with serrated edges, pointing fingers and knocking half-serious punches at its victim. Drums are vying to be noticed, all high speed clatter and hi-hat acrobatics. Over the top of this commotion, Laura-Mary and Steven’s boy versus girl verbal attack is what really commands notice: Laura-Mary, in the style of a snotty nosed brat, taunting “Now now now now boy”; Steven playing the role of wiry-limbed misaligned youth, “Giving myself a heart attack”.
They are perfectly within their rights to sound this arrogant – even with just the few repeated over-and-over lyrics, this is one of the brashest and best singles of two-zero-zero-six thus far.
• 9 Rachel Cawley's Score