I ain't gettin' in no airplane, Hannibal...
"This Is My Love" is the second single to be thrust upon the populace by The Aeroplanes. Only eighteen months old, The Aeroplanes have seemingly found the road to a record deal and critical acclaim to be a shimmering smooth slab of buttered tarmac, rather than the treacherous pothole-ridden cobbled back street that most new bands must traverse to realise fame and fortune.
"This Is My Love" is slow and soulful track (as you'd expect from the title), featuring the appropriately lush and dynamic production that seems to be employed on all modern indie-pop output these days. Delicate guitar melodies permeate throughout; albeit with a couple of rockier strums thrown in and the drums are particularly prominent in the mix. I've no idea why - as it adds little and detracts from what little sense the lyrics actually make.
Anyway, although touted as possessing a "distinctive delivery", lead singer and songwriter Chris Kearney invites immediate comparison to Ricky Wilson and even Robbie Williams - and if you think that's meant as a criticism, you'd be right. He sings the verses sweetly and the chorus in a quasi-anguished howl. Not particularly distinctive, is it? He can carry a tune to be sure, but he's no Joe Cocker or Van Morrison. Oh, wait a second - I get it now! Maybe it's down to the fact that he sings his s's in a really stupid way. That is distinctive.
"This Is My Love" isn't as bland as most indie-pop love songs can be (at least the delicately considered verses are punctuated by a riff heavy chorus - and that's why it isn't going to get a 1/13), but it still doesn't go far enough to convince an old rock-junkie like me.
"Think U2, Radiohead, The Police and you are getting near" say the Manchester Evening News. Personally I can't think of anything worse. Does the world really need a cover of "With Or Without You" - sung by Thom Yorke and melded to a cod reggae beat? No, I thought not.