N - the naked and famous, this machine (2008) and no light (2008)

let me be clear from the outset. my mission here is not to bag new zealand artists, especially emerging new zealand bands. so here are the reasons i really like the naked and famous: i own and regularly listen to both e.ps, 'no light' and 'this machine'. they're both really good e.ps. i once almost put myself in the dogbox by going to see n&f live instead of a certain other band (see 'k'.) they're good musicians, who play a great live show. the two early e.ps demonstrate an exciting sound, dominated by throbbing baselines and interesting synth hooks. they're catchy, well-executed, interesting songs - vocally light, but musically interesting. i'm a fan, always have been.

here is why i will not be buying the naked and famous' new album 'passive me, aggresive you': i just don't think 'young blood' is a very good song. yea yea i know they just won the silver scroll... but to me the song is bland, it's whiney, it's completely self-indulgent, it's uninteresting, and it doesn't go anywhere. if we're completely honest, n&f have never had much vocal depth, but it's never mattered because it's been complemented by a rich and multi-faceted instrumental sound. i don't even get that from 'young blood'. it's timid. it's meek. it's boring and it's (yep, i'm going there...) a sell-out.

so, i can hate a single and not let that put me off a band, right? sure. i'm just disturbed at the lengths n&f are going to to publicly disassociate the rest of their album from 'young blood'. it's like an admission that 'yb' is a (bad) diversion from their otherwise excellent sound. it feels like an apology to their fans and a "please still buy our album cos we still sound like ourselves really". it probably does still sound like them. i'll probably love the album. but my question is this: why make the shit song that doesn't sound like you the first single off your album? especially when you then have to publicly justify it, by continually stating that the album will sound different?? perhaps i'm too cynical but it seems like a bit of a ploy to me. and it's obviously paid off because i'm apparently the only person in the whole world who hates this song (or at least is brave enough to admit it.)