Anyone talking about the death of the single should cock an ear or two to this. Sure, the seven-inch and CD have taken a bit of a battering at the hands of the digital download, but you only need to open your eyes and see that the classic 45 isn't ready to be buried six feet under just yet.
Take this one for example. It has more hooks than a fisherman's basket and is a perfect advertisement that simplicity combined with an addictive tune, not to mention a totally unforgettable chorus, is the key when it comes to creating that magical three-or-so minutes that makes those moments when you're sat in a traffic jam, or eating Weetabix for breakfast, or sluggishly typing away in front of a computer screen bearable.
'Beat Of Blue' is the tale of an argument over a girl that leads to the narrator being arrested. Don't know what for. Don't really need to, if I'm being honest. While there's an obvious homage to the likes of The Clash and Buzzcocks, particularly in singer Kristian Walker's sarcastically enunciated vowellisms, there's also more than a distinctive flavour that makes Last Gang stand out like a beacon of true delight over and above the brethren of imitators still trying to work out that fourth chord change on 'Up The Bracket'.
All that remains to be said is buy this single, listen to the chorus of "You're going home in the back of a police van...", and if you're not singing along by the end of the second verse, then I really am a monkey's uncle.
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9Dom Gourlay's Score