The Sexy Accident "mantoloking" (Independant, 2009)

Would suit students.

The Sexy Accident play mostly bright poppy/indy guitar tunes which at first reminded me of The Beautiful South, with a twist of art pop a la Franz Ferdinand and a dash of The National's melancholy. This is partly due to vocalist Jesse Kates' resemblance to Paul Heaton, but there are a number of songs which take an ironic twist along the lines of The Beautiful South. 'I'm Just Trying To Help (Me Like You)' is a good example of this, documenting as it does a misogynist's dictating by 'phone to an ex-girlfriend a list of things that she could do in order to make it worth him ditching the new girlfriend and going back to her : "there's one thing about her I adore/her stomach is flatter, flatter than yours....I kinda want to be with you/as long as you change a thing or two." It's a jolly post-ironic sing-a-long, but also a fairly thin joke.

'A Merry Christmas To You' hangs in the same territory, seemingly a sad tale of unrequited love as a gift bearer catches the object of his affections kissing another, subverted by the girl seemingly not knowing "that guy over there ... the one with glasses and the hair". Friend wanting to get closer, or stalker ?

The Sexy Accident aren't a one trick pony though. 'Failing To Play Nice' is a musical bare bones carrying a painful tale of the effect on young children of a divorce, the estrangement from their father, their resentments and feelings of being powerless as their Mother invites new men into their home. Not a happy listen at all, but then it wasn't meant to be.

'Say Goodnight' is imbued with creeping minor chords as another day ends for someone on the margins and, as often on this album, alone or about to be alone. It's not all bad though, the life falling apart in 'I Just Want My Car' rocks out nicely as the anger at a perfidious lover rises, although inevitably it's capped by the realisation that "the part that's funny/despite the crap I still love you honey".

'The Chatty Bandit' - lyrically dense, flashy with a stomping beat and stabbing angular guitars - is the albums brashest artiest song, smacks of radio friendliness, and hides within it the nervousness of that first time you tell her...that...well...you know...I've always kinda liked you...and...well.

Everything hangs together, the anger and the angst, the love found and the love lost. It's not the greatest pop album you'll hear this year, but it's far from the worst. Not a bad accident.

Date review added:  Thursday, October 22, 2009
Reviewer:  Jonathan Aird
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  The Sexy Accident