The Hot Puppies
Green Eyeliner

Last time we checked, clubnight-cum-label Purr having barely ever put a foot – or should that be paw? – wrong, and as the new Hot Puppies single ‘Green Eyeliner’ would have it, they’re still landing on their feet…or paws, whatever. As an attempt to distil every even slightly hip pop reference ever into a three-minute period (let’s see - Blondie, Freddie & The Dreamers, The Rezillos, Saint Etienne, uh…oh go on then, Lush…), it’s an admirable try. But as a quite simply great pop song, it’s marvellous. From the fifties rock n’ roll guitar line to the keyboard-induced rush it’s an absolute gem, not least helped by singer Becky Newman’s sweet, sultry, pitch-bending voice that leads a soaring and enticing number of hooks. Plus it sounds a lot like Bellatrix, which to your correspondent at least is a GOOD thing. Every fey indie disco should aspire to play this sort of thing, daddy-o…

On the B-side front, Newman squeals with fervour and delight “They’ll build monuments in our names / The fools who shake our hands” on the shimmying and shimmering ‘A Small Killing (On This Day)’, with nails out and magpie eyes hungry for the prize. Better, though, is ‘All We’ve Got To Do Is Kiss’, not unlike a military-chic Magoo playing Motown tunes behind the bike sheds in an attempt to persuade Kim Deal that running away to Aberystwyth to play Theremin in a field is a great idea, to which they (and all onlookers) heartily agree. Or, in other words, sexually-charged indie-pop. Mi-aow.