Super Critical

完全復活!史上最強のスーパー・ユニット“ザ・ティン・ティンズ”のサード・アルバム!!!

ケイティ(Vo)とジュ―ルズ(Dr.)がUKマンチェスターにて結成したザ・ティン・ティンズ。デビュー当時よりリード・シングル「グレイトDJ」がUKシングル・チャートで初登場1位を獲得、ここ日本でもCMや人気TVドラマ等でも多数起用され、デビュー・アルバム『ウィ・スターティッド・ナッシング』1枚でサマーソニックに3度も出演した経験のあるほどの史上最強のスーパー・ユニット!ライブでの実力はもちろんケイティのファッション・アイコンとしての人気も根強く、セカンド・アルバム『サウンズ・フロム・ノーウェアズヴィル』発売時のプロモ来日では多くのメディアに露出を果たした。デビュー作の大ヒットや彼らを取り巻く環境ゆえセカンド・アルバムの制作時には苦悩があったものの、晴れてレーベルを変え環境を一新し、さらに彼ららしく自由にクリエイティブに完全復活した待望のサード・アルバムが遂に完成!より新しくより彼ららしく進化したザ・ティン・ティンズ・ワールドが炸裂!!

British duo Ting Tings stepped into the shadows somewhat after the breakthrough of their obnoxiously catchy 2008 debut, We Started Nothing. That album, armed with several infectious singles and the then-ubiquitous summer jam "That's Not My Name," was followed up four years later by the eclectic musical patchwork of second album Sounds from Nowheresville, a study in genre exercises that aimed for the colorful versatility of Beck or the Beastie Boys but fell flat for many listeners. For third album Super Critical, the Ting Tings switched gears again, traveling to Ibiza to record the nine decidedly more refined tunes that make up the brief album. The bratty punk melodicism that made so many of the band's early singles shine takes a back seat here, showing up only in slight reflections on upbeat tracks like "Daughter" and "Only Love," each of which tending more toward slithering funky guitar ornamentation than distorted eruptions. Indeed, there's little evidence of any rock background at all, with the band embracing a more streamlined, sophisticated kind of club-friendly pop. Straightforward grooves like the R&B push of "Communication" and the bounding handclaps of "Do It Again" seem to suggest a fascination with disco templates and the funkier side of the group's songwriting. First single and standout cut "Wrong Club" is more of the same, dropping a reference to dance classic "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" in its lyrics and wrapping string samples and watery guitar leads around a solid, late-night beat. The tune isn't as overtly catchy as some of their most ear-grabbing work, and the decision to tone down the more jarring and cluttered elements of their sound is one that works on many of Super Critical's tracks. Though not quite as boisterous and immediate as their debut and nowhere as stylistically restless as Sounds from Nowheresville, the songs here slowly sink in and last a lot longer than anything else the band has done prior. The Ting Tings aren't quite ready to grow up and stop partying, but the maturation on Super Critical takes them out of the "overbearing pop flash in the pan" category and suggests they may have even more interesting statements ahead of them. ~ Fred Thomas|

コロムビアを離れ、自主レーベルを立ち上げての3作目。2年前にイビザへ移住した2人は、そこでのEDM三昧な日々の反動から昔ながらのテンポのディスコを作りたいと考えたそうです。ということで、アンディ・テイラーの起用も大納得! ナイル・ロジャースっぽいカッティングを用いたナンバーを聴けば、光り輝くミラーボールが眼前に浮かぶことでしょう! 変化を恐れず、欲求の赴くままに突き進んだ彼らに拍手!
bounce (C)柴田かずえ