söndag 22 Jun 2008, 18:47

A review of Peter Olive's album, English: I wholeheartedly recommend this artist, currently unsigned. Oxford educated Peter Olive is the epitome of posh pop. With a high-octane, bassline driven, radio-ready pop sound, together with his witty, Casanova-esque writing style, this album's a winner.

The album begins with English, an indie-electro torchsong that condemns its listener for being "so godamm English" for not expressing him/herself in a relationship. At first listen, the song's flavour seems to be angsty; however, by lines like
"I tracked you down till I found out your name/ googled you a hundred times a day"
it's clear that actually the tone is a wry satire, a mixture of vulnerability, defiance and ironic self-mockery. It's not unlike "Somebody Told Me".
The satircal theme proceeds with a witty 80s-style ballad about two yuppies, City Idiot, with all the sarcasm and irony of Pet Shop Boys' Opportunities (let's make lots of money). A politely melancholic midtempo track, Next Endeavours, is followed by the playful, Into the Groove-style Autoflirt, where Olive dreams of being a DJ to enhance his pulling potential.

The standout track is unquestionably Playfights, an 80s style ballad about a failed relationship, replete with Hi-NRG electro beeps, rock'n'roll organ and digital acrobatics. One Sided Love with its Level 42-style bass line explores the joy of dwelling in voyeuristic possibility, while 90s continues the satirical edge of English and City Idiot, remeniscing the early 90s "when it wasn't illegal/ to host your own rave". Maybe an ironic take on Calvin Harris' "acceptable in the 80s", perhaps a pitch to a more Radio 2 audience - one way or another, it gives Olive the excuse to try out the old school synths of yesteryear, which he takes to with (by now, predictable, panache).

The album winds up with another hi-NRG europop number, Permanently. With techno plickles sounding like a japanese computer game, it is another winner, Olive sending up his own childishness in dating while singing his heart out. The result is compelling listening. There's some cool remixes on his Facebook fanpage, too:

I haven't stopped playing this one…

EnglishPlayfights90sOpportunitiesSomebody Told MeCity IdiotAcceptable in the 80sPermanently into the grooveinto the grooveeverybodyPermanently (Pedro's abysnth mix)Peter OlivePeter OliveEnglishFacebook Fanpagehttp://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/160/5624333.jpgPermanently (pedro's absynth mix)Level 42