The Long Blondes
Separated By Motorways

Finally, they've found an FM chorus... all that remains now is for Sheffield's latest and greatest to put pen to paper and actually sign a record deal. In the meantime, this two minute slice of Lamacq approved escapist pop tells the tale of a pair of girls who abandon their monotonous nine to five lives and take to the motorway. It's a strange premise for a song, but then The Long Blondes have always revelled in escaping the chavs and chips existence that some of their more illustrious South Yorkshire contemporaries focus on.

With Paul Epworth behind the mixing desk, the quintet sound spikier than ever and 'Separated...' gallops along with a funky, bouncy rhythm underpinning their duelling guitars. Kate's vocal is her most commanding yet, a mixture of frustration and vitriol, and with a chorus that demands airplay this could finally be the single that brings the 'Blondes to the masses.