Temposhark

"It's Better To Have Loved" (Single, 2005)

Paper & Glue

Great choice for the follow-up single to their previous release, this easily eclipses that. Someone managed to coax Guy Sigsworth, remixer of Madonna and Bjork, to lend his hand to the title track. Shame he could only be bothered to spend enough time to switch all the equipment onto autopilot with a heading for Predictable, Clubsville as a destination. Once past that lazy opener, It's Better To Have Loved makes sense of everything I couldn't quite get a handle on previously with Temposhark.

Released in the dying days of 2005, I'm a tad overdue with giving this a listen (!) but I'm glad I did. Now that I get it with Temposhark, it makes taking it all in a breeze. Moreover, there's a cracking DSO-sympathetic electro remix of track Not That Big by an outfit named Metronomy, who have previously remixed Ladytron and Franz Ferdinand. Even Fred Avril's Avril 'Coeur Changeant' Remix of (last single) Invisible Ink rewards in spades. Snatched from the 'write 'em off' pile in one very deftly compiled single. 7/10

Rob Dyer (March 2008)

"Invisible Ink/Little White Lie" (Single, 2005)

Paper & Glue

First thing that strikes you about this is the packaging. A clear jewel case with just a random squiggle of pink cotton trapped beneath the CD tray comes wrapped a nicely minimalist slip cover. Once up and running, the chilled electronica melody of Invisible Ink is soon underway carried by a whispering and fragile male vocal. You're not quite sure if this is going to turn out to be some contemporary version of one of those English pop acts from the 1980s. The type where the cute vocalist whose 'vulnerable' voice attracts as many females to the act as the music itself. Like Scritti Poliiti.

Little White Lie develops the concept. Slightly darker but the lyrics about an unfaithful husband are a little awkward. The voice continues to intrigue and by the chorus I had faint pictures of Sal Paradise (if anyone out there remembers him) shimmering in the back of my mind. We at DSO like Cursor Miner, and his Acid Stomp remix of Little White Lie (though no less repetitive) is better than the source material. Snow closes the proceedings and, maybe tellingly, is may favourite track. Key difference here? It's essentially an instrumental. 6/10

Rob Dyer (February 2006)