Friends Electric - Golden Blood Single Review

Friends Electric's new single, 'Golden Blood', is a slick slice of dance-pop. Too slick, in fact: anything which could conceivably provoke or even engage the listener has been methodically smoothed out of existence. What remains is perfectly inoffensive, but not especially fun. The rhythm section keeps things moving with the minimum of fuss. The singer rehashes a few romantic cliches ('You pull my heartstrings/like a puppeteer/Every time you call/I will be there just to catch you if you fall') in a bored-sounding voice. The synths swell just in time for the chorus. None of this is objectionable, but it's rather sterile. It sounds, in fact, like a song written by a collection of faceless record label suits. The best pop music takes risks and does something new; 'Golden Blood' plays it safe.

B-side 'Opposites Attract' is a twenty-minute wash of acid-fried psychedelia influenced by Acid Mothers Temple. That's a lie. It's another competently constructed pop song with a structure and a sonic palette almost identical to those of 'Golden Blood'. Fans of the A-side will almost certainly enjoy the B-side, just by default, but nobody's preconceptions will be challenged by it.

Despite the uninspiring and formulaic nature of these tracks, the band may well achieve commercial success: they're managed by the same folks as Frankmusik and have remixed Ellie Golding and Kelis, and when well-connected industry types want a band to succeed they tend to do so, regardless of the quality of their music. Anybody who prefers their pop music to be a little more forward-thinking should, however, hope that they learn some new tricks before they hit it big.

Nick Gale