Great DJ (We Started Nothing - Ting Tings)

Member Name: AllyPally1991

Product:	We Started Nothing - Ting Tings
Date:	16/08/08 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good lyrics

Disadvantages: is let down by a few songs

The Ting Tings are a two piece band from Salford in the UK. Formed of Katie White and Jules De Martino, the band were sure to be compared to the most famous other two piece band around today, The White Stripes (not least because Katie shares a last name with their lead singer, Jack White). Whilst the two bands may be on a similar level in terms of potential success, the sound of the Ting Tings couldn't be more different to that of the White Stripes. The band are an electro-indie-pop collaboration, with a distinct message of female power and individuality.

I first came across the band through ArtRocker, where they were given a fantastic write-up for the single "Great DJ", which I soon downloaded off ITunes. The song is catchy, although after a few listens it does begin to grate on the nerves, with its repetitive nature and frustrating beat changes. In fact, given the sound of this song I must admit I had them pegged as a bit of a one hit wonder. Nevertheless, I downloaded some more of their music, and I eventually found a copy of the album quite cheaply on E-bay, and so bought it upon impulse.

I was soon swallowing my words. With songs such as the two hit singles "That's Not My Name" and "Shut Up And Let Me Go", the band are far from just another one hit wonder, with a unique sound which is able to bridge the difficult gap between indie bands and mainstream music. The hit "That's Not My Name" managed to capture the fantastic sounds of the first hit, but with a better beat (although admittedly the song is still frustrating at times with the repetitive lyrics.) "Shut Up And Let Me Go" helped them hit the big time as a hit in the states after its presence on the ITunes adverts, and with good reason too - the song is one of the best off of the album, with personality and power. Although the repetitive lyrics are still present, they are distinctly less frustrating than on the other two hits.

As with many bands at the current time, the band gained fame through MySpace, and there are a couple of songs on the album which would be familiar to anyone who listened to the band on MySpace. "We Walk" and "Fruit Machine" are both good songs, though arguably would not strong enough to be released as singles, which is a shame - I think that 90-100% of songs on a good album should be successful as singles, it helps the album appeal to the listener.

However, there are a number of album-only songs which help the album not seem as if it just contains a few good songs. The two songs that are not as familiar "Be The One" and "Impacilla Carpisung" are both really good tracks, though I couldn't help but feel disappointed that these were the only two songs which I had not heard before from their MySpace or downloads. The songs are quite strong in their own right and fit in with the album perfectly.

"Traffic Light" and "Keep Your Head" have both been on the band's Myspace during the band's lifespan, and are both also relatively strong pieces, though again I fail to see them succeeding on the large, commercial scale of the singles. They are upbeat and rhythmic, but unfortunately the band have gained fame for their lyrical prowess, and here I feel they fail to meet the catchy standards which they set in the first half of the album.

The final song, and the title track, "We Started Nothing", sounds like it should be a single (who knows, maybe it will be in the future) and is a fantastically strong end to the album.

Overall, I feel that the album beats expectation (or mine, at least) by being stronger and more powerful than they let on with their initial singles. The debut album from this power-pop duo seems to be a sign of bigger and better things to come, and I see a bright future for this band.

Summary: Brilliant debut from the duo