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We've had Charlie Simpson's Fightstar, and now here's
James Bourne, teaming up with a new set of boyish chums as the
quaint but stupidly named Son of Dork. And while this outfit may not
escape accusations of being Blink-182 plus one, there is enough lyrical
nouse here to set them up for a tilt at genuine longevity in the pop
charts.
To last they're going to need a few more distinctive tunes, though,
something Busted were never lacking at any point in their
career. Now and then a good one pops up - the obvious example being the
single Welcome To Loserville - but too often the promising material lacks a
killer cutting edge.
Instead it's the lyrics that are the most interesting. Anyone searching
for allusions to Bourne's time in Busted won't be disappointed.
Eddie's Song notes that, "at 3am it's getting late, the after party's closed",
while Boyband pokes fun at the whole process, questioning whether
Good Charlotte should refer their fans to McFly and saying, more ominously, that "fifteen minutes we'll be through, and I won't have to
talk to you". Humour abounds too, Bourne having a good natured pop at the
metalheads or sniggering at a 'faker' in Murder In The Mosh, a girl
who's "into Jane's Addiction... and I fall over laughing when she
tries to sing along". The rest of this song tries too hard though, with neither
a carefully primed shout to Sonic Youth nor the wailing chorus
added as a hidden track coming over well.
The nuggets of humour are worth hanging on to, for this is a mini
concept album with a sour taste, the subject too often a loser in love.
Party's Over is the most explicit reference to this, the subject
singing of watching his girlfriend "get laid on the sofa". Its intricate harmonies
make for a surprisingly affecting song. Holly.. I'm The One tells a
tale of jealousy, while Sick offers a bunny boiler theme from a male
perspective.
Even when the boys are with someone they're not happy either.
"All you do is wear me down", complains the penultimate song. Meanwhile Little
Things, a bittersweet semi-ballad, is one of the best tracks here, Bourne
under the spell of yet another girl.
For teen lyrics, then, Bourne has it spot on. The harmonies are good
if a tad formulaic, while the guitar work, strongly reminiscent of Blink-182, does its job without fuss. Anyone entering Loserville
will more than likely enjoy their stay, but once they've moved on might
struggle to remember many of its tunes.
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