“these Scottish lads have clearly had their oats this morning” Single Review: Fickle Public - Just Like I Got Used To Saying Courteney Cox Arquette

There have been some great names for bands - Feeble Weenie, Toad The Wet Sprocket and Jack Off Jill to name but a few - however for this band we have a name which sums up the music industry's audience perfectly - 'Fickle Public', which is their new name with their first being an even more impressive one of 'Purple Munkie'. Names aside, it's also important to bands to have a short and snappy song title so it's obvious that this single should have an easily recognisable one such as, 'Just Like I Got Used To Saying Courteney Cox Arquette'. This sums up exactly what this band are all about, good honest fun.

'JLIGUTSCCA' starts of with nice riffing and then has strong high vocals from singer/guitarist Alan Ferguson, and it's easy to see that these Scottish lads have clearly had their oats this morning. Described as '...pop wrapped up in punk's barbed wire..' this is clear here in the two and a half minute duration of this song. There is a great mix of heavy metal riffs, punk/pop vocals, folksy guitars and pianos - a real kaleidoscope of styles all mixed together to produce something new and exciting.

Fickle Public sound a little like Placebo with more balls and a sense of humour, and that's no dig at Placebo. Having recently toured with the likes of the great Alkaline Trio and Biffy Clyro, and an appearance at T In The Park, Fickle Public have the whole world in front of them and the chance to really make an impression. Touring all through this week and next, ending up in my hometown of Swindon (where, on the basis of this single I shall go and see them), and with a debut album called 'Bucko' set to hit the streets the day before Valentine's Day, it will be interesting to see whether of not towards this band the public are indeed fickle.

© Room Thirteen 2006