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Although best known for fronting Anna’s Bones, Rebecca Simmonds is now venturing out solo under the moniker Blenko. This EP collection, also called Rebecca, shows us what a great move that is for all concerned.
Six tracks, three of which have already had their day in the sun as singles, Rebecca proves that as Blenko, she is a gifted and humourous songwriter. Here, we find cool and quirky indie-pop songs underpinned with groovesome basslines and carrying refreshingly fun vocals.
“Unlucky Bag” is pop for grown-ups. It ticks all the boxes for infectiousness and sing-along-ability (that’s a word, right?). It also ticks off excitement and quality. We know substance always wins over style, so how about a song with substance AND style? Yes, well, this is it.
“There There There” is what Girls Aloud might have sounded like had they met hanging around the punk clubs of the Lower East Side in the late seventies—i.e., it’s actually really good! “Through Your Teeth” is a pop take on krautrock woven around a New York No Wave attitude, and “Moonlight” is a surprisingly subtle and soulful pop ballad—no angle, no subversive intent, just a lovely, lovely pop song in the traditional sense.
Rebecca and the Rebecca behind it, are reminders that pop can still be clever, can have something to say, and is the answer to any argument by rockers and indie aficionados that the pop genre is kids’ stuff. This is anything but kids’ stuff.
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