Good single from Lancaster singer.
After reading the description "indie/rock genius" on the press release and seeing the cheesy obviously mod influenced cover, it's a relief that Rob McCulloch isn't horrifyingly awful. He sounds heavily influenced by Pete Doherty, and here I'm referring to his singing style if nothing else. I'm a believer that the indie scene hasn't been much to speak of since The Libertines retreated from centre stage, so it's good to see their influence hasn't been forgotten.
'Golden Boy' is an upbeat swagger around the perimeters of classic mid-90s style indie. Its pace is fast and assured and the sound is taut and controlled without being dull. The song doesn't disarm with its originality but it does charm and as an insufferable nostalgia fiend I enjoy most attempts to recapture the spirit of Britpop.
'Left a Note' is, in the opinion of this reviewer at least, the stronger song of the two. It has a similar rhythm to its predecessor but swaggers less and seems to mean more as a by-product. The 21-year-old sounds older than his meagre years with the mature, seasoned voice on display here, suited to lyrics about "dying at the sight of you".
Overall this pairing is catchy and likeable and leave me wondering if this pace and interest could be maintained over the course of an album. Let's hope so, as it's nice to think there are some alternatives to nu-rave, (gr)indie or whatever is being dictated this week.