Martina Topley Bird's sultry voice comes over in layers on her feisty new single, Poison.
And if you get a feeling that the backing track is eerily similar to Gnarls Barkley, give yourself a pat on the back: having split with trip hop producer Tricky a while ago, Topley Bird enlisted Danger Mouse to help out on her upcoming album, The Blue God.
Surprisingly, the throwback surf beat works out here better than similar ideas from Gnarls' last effort. Danger Mouse brings out shimmering guitars on the chorus and avoids repetitive tedium with just enough musical flair.
Topley Bird, for her part, commands the track with a controlled, soulful croon, even if it is a bit quirky at times with the vocal embellishments. The layered vocal tracking adds a strangely flawed, human element to the song that contrasts with the mechanised drums.
As for the lyrics, they're typical pop-song fodder, which fits the song arrangement perfectly. Because of the interesting presentation, the lyrics can be overlooked. Danger Mouse's contributions should make for an interesting third full length release for Topley Bird.
