Born Ruffians – Red Yellow & Blue

I have been looking forward for what seems like an age to hear this album and their singing to Warp made me want to hear it even more. Warp are so consistent with their releases it had to be great right? Plus the tune Hummingbird has been on heavy rotation since about the middle of last year on my mp3 player and computer. What a great track that is I never expected it to get on telly adverts and Skins almost a year after I heard it. Red Yellow & Blue is a pretty nice album full of poppy, jingly indie pop tracks. It’s not quite up to Grizzly Bear standards for Warp though, which is a shame. I think it will shift a fair few units though. Born Ruffian are a joyful romp in twee heaven for the summer time indie crowd. Just pure pop hooks and tunes nothing to in your face. Hummingbird is still the stand out track for me by far, with nothing quite being as catchy as that little number. I Need A Life comes quite close and is indeed a great track, with a ace hook and maybe the only other track that really lodges it’s self in your head, ‘Oh but we go out at night’ is an ace chanted chorus. Much of the album is a bit to much like a soundtrack to those annoying soft focus twee mobile phone adverts though which I think is putting me off a little bit. This kind of music seems to be all over the shop at the moment The Dodos being another artists in a similar vain. Baddnkadonkey reminds me of a Mighty Boosh song with its ‘put it in your pocket’ line and the rhythm it’s sung in. This makes me giggle each time I hear it but it just shows how catchy Born Ruffian and The Mighty Boosh are really. Born Ruffian are a little to shrill for me at times to enjoy over repeat listens, but if I wack it on sparsely it is a real treat. They remind me of Volcano! But a lot tamer and with less ideas, so maybe volcano without a capital V and ! Just the pop moments stripped back to normal song structures and short songs.

Born Ruffian are good and a nice refreshing change to other so hot right now hipsters like Vampire Weekend that really boor me senseless. They are at the good end of that kind of loose scene or sound. I think it’s a nice addition to the Warp roster as its pretty interesting and a solid album, if not mind blowing. But we can all wait and be blown away by Flying Lotus can’t we, well I will anyway. If your after indie pop your can’t go far wrong that with Born Ruffians Red Yellow & Blue.