CORNERSHOP – URBAN TURBAN: THE SINGHLES CLUB
If the pun in the title didn’t already suggest the best way to describe Cornershops’ eighth studio album: ‘Urban Turban: The Singhles Club’ is Indian-inspired electronica. Lead out of London for nineteen years by Tjinder Singh, this doesn’t sound like a terrible combination at first. Unfortunately what is supposed to be another ‘unconventional move’ in the East-meets-West outfit is really a disconnected mess of electronic tracks which seem to still be swanning about in the nineties. The very first track, What Did The Hippie Have In His Bag? confuses straightaway as it sounds like an unreleased Peter Combe single, complete with a chorus of children from Lancashire Castle Hill Primary School. The second track Who’s Gonna Lite It Up which includes a tabla, a drum traditionally paired with sitar, does allow for an Indian flavour. Likewise Beacon 303 with feature artist Rajwant’s Hindi vocals surely belongs on the soundtrack of a modern Hindi rom-com. Meanwhile the smooth guitar and the occasional pipe of an organ gives Concrete, Concrete all the groove of a live jazz gig, far away from an Indian disco sound. The most redeeming track is Something Makes You Feel Like which features the petite French songstress Soko over a slow rock beat and minimally distorted guitar. Unfortunately any sense is quickly reversed upon glancing at the title of the final track, First Wog On the Moon, an instrumental-only track dripping in squeaking synthesizer.
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