If there’s one thing that can definitely be said about the Soho Dolls, it’s that they have a ridiculously good way with words, something that is evident from the off with the fantastic album title ‘Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation’; the best album title of 2007, bar absolutely none. Dip into their ribbed tunes, and you find that this playful, dirty attitude with words carries on throughout the album, delivering some of the kookiest, sexiest and downright rude lyrics I’ve heard. From the stomping opening ‘Stripper’, with its flirty taunt “Hey…stripper!”, to the ‘Tainted Love’-esque ‘I’m Not Cool’, right through to final track ‘1724’ and its rather confessional ‘love to hate you, hate to fight’ the Dolls treat us to 12 tasty little treats of dirty guitar, blippy synth and, of course, cheeky vocals. Having heard the Soho Dolls first through the medium of a really rather filthy remix of ‘Trash The Rental’, I was apprehensive that I perhaps wouldn’t enjoy their un-mixed sounds. Oh, how wrong I was. This is a fantastically dark album, but with the sugar-coated femme vocals and hook laden backing, it becomes a delicious hybrid of Goldfrapp, Dead Disco and a massive tub of dark blue glitter. An exciting album from a very exciting band; no matter how numb you are, you can’t help but feel a little tingle when that sweet vocal promises to “show you all the pleasures of Soho”.
Rating: 7/10
Author: Becca Day-Preston
