R1's Huw Stephen's thinks Friends are one the most exciting bands of the moment and on the basis of MANIFEST! I'm inclined to agree.
The only problem is knowing where to ruddy well file them in your collection (if you indeed do such old fashioned things in this digital download age). Friends defy obvious classification.
Personally I'd slot them somewhere between Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Vampire Weekend. Singer Samantha Urbani definitely has Karen O's spiky cool presence. Like Vampire Weekend, Friends are clearly influenced by Paul Simon's Gracelands. But where the Vamps took the afro-beat bass and drums but gave it preppy punk flavour, Friends mix it up with indie funk, mutant disco, old school hip hop, a garage punk spirit and even a little '80s MOR rock.
'Sorry' is kissing cousin to Vampire Weekend's 'Oxford Comma'. Similarly 'Stay Dreaming' has vague echoes of 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' though Urban's vocals are more romantic and dreamy. Both are great tracks.
The single 'I'm His Girl' kind of reminds me of '80s pop hip hop track, it has a cool playground swagger to it. Here Urbani half sings-raps like Debbie Harry on Rapture. Effortlessly cool. 'Mind Control' is similar but also sounds like some forgotten Sugar Hill rap classic, particularly 'Pump Me Up' by Trouble Funk.
'Ideas on Ghosts' is almost like a disco version of Fleetwood Macs 'Big Love', moderate pop-rock with the BPMs increased. Elsewhere on 'Ruins' there's a distorted surf guitar straight from The Dead Kennedys.
Despite all their influences Friends have mashed up these sounds to create their own noise thats infectious, funky as hell and utterly unique to them.
If I were you I'd file under 'uber-cool'.
'I'M HIS GIRL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5VNumNJyqE
'SORRY'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOP6n5A7A3c
'MIND CONTROL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I90FkC6BMbw&feature=related
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