Indie guitar pop from one of the modern day masters.
Anyone unsure of how unfair a game music can be need only have taken in The Kaiser Chiefs recent arena tour. Leaving aside whether the band deserved to be playing to crowds that included the biggest ever indoor crowd in Scotland as that's all a matter of opinion, the fact that the support act on that tour was a Mr. Graham Coxon should surely indicate all is not correct in the land of indie.
Leaving aside his past history in one of the UK's biggest Brit-pop bands (with that guy from Fat Les and the cartoon bloke), Coxon has sculpted a handful of solo records, ranging from the avant-garde experimental to the poppiest thing in town.
'You And I' is the latest single from the 'Love Travels At Illegal Speeds' album and is another guitar master class. From the chugging late 70s guitar riff, the step up for the chorus, the phased solo and the la la la's, the single has all the ingredients required to be a smash hit.
There's almost a self-deprecating twang to Coxon's vocals that you could imagine is the sound of a man questioning himself but there is also a hint of confidence in his own singing and you realise the vulnerability is perhaps down to the honesty of the lyrics and of the doubt over a relationship. Pop music is littered with bitter-sweet gems that mask a dark or concerned tone in a shiny upbeat cover and Coxon excels in this style. 'You And I' stands favourably beside a very strong back catalogue.
The album it's taken from is even better, with as many nuggets as 'Happiness In Magazines' and is more than enough proof that Coxon didn't just bring the angry riffs and the woo-hoos to Blur.