Sounds from Nowheresville

The British dance duo of Jules de Martino and Katie White wander through the musical countryside nicking what they need with a casual authority that makes the outcome pleasurable and deliberately lightweight. "Silence" starts things; it's slightly hungover from the previous party. "Hang It Up" begins up with the opening flash of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" before reviving the awkward rock-rap category. "Guggenheim" furthers the rap influence with an insistence that the group will one day perform at the art museum. "In Your Life" turns in a nocturnal ballad that sounds like Nancy Sinatra discovering Tindersticks. The success of The Ting Tings' debut album left the duo skittish, trashing one album's worth of material for this one (the story's unclear of how much input the record company had in this decision). "Give It Back" ramps up the enthusiasm found in the infamous hit "That's Not My Name" from their debut album, We Started Nothing. This album's deluxe edition features demos, unreleased tracks, and remixes that double its playing time.