Because after The Script, Ireland has a hell of a lot of making up to do…

[Video][Website]
[7.09]

Ian Mathers: I hope I’m not being too old-fashioned about this, and “Tie Me Up With Jackets” has certainly grown on me, but as good as it is, I still have a major reservation about it: It’s not much of a single, is it? It’s a good song, but it feels like an album track, something that needs other songs to go with it, not something self-sufficient. It feels like an incomplete part of a story. Which isn’t an uncommon problem for proper indie bands to have in this column, but for whatever reason it’s especially striking in this case. Also, please get rid of the guy who wanders in from a hardcore band near the end, that’s just unnecessary.
[8]

John M. Cunningham: I’m reminded a bit of the infectious energy, coed yelping, and indie self-awareness of Los Campesinos!, but while the Campesinos aren’t immune to cringeworthy lyrics, there’s a basic attempt at being clever here that comes off as rather clunky and pointless.
[4]

Alex Wisgard: “Tie Me Up With Jackets” is the closest the LP comes to a moment of calm, albeit still punctuated by curious bleeps, promethean drums and bouts of “lovely noise”. If they’d come along when I was 16, I’d probably have lived my life by them. As it is, Fight Like Apes will have to content themself with releasing the best single of the year so far that namechecks Simple Kid.
[8]

Doug Robertson: A feral roar of idiosyncratic lyrics, jerky rhythms and various yelps and squeals, of both the synthy and human variety, this sounds so excitingly fresh and new that it tears itself away from the weight of their influences – most notably McLusky and that whole quiet/loud dynamic – that would hold back a lesser band and soars off over the horizon like a more exciting, 22nd century version of a motorcycle. The only reason this gets a 9 is because something needs to be held back for when they inevitably re-release the incredibly mighty “Jake Summers” as a single. Lovely noise indeed.
[9]

Martin Kavka: I really want to hate this. It’s indie raised to the indieth power, with references to Simple Kid and a loutish lover who says “Yo La Tengo like you’re selling perfume.” What does that mean? But I can’t resist Maykay’s vocal, which maintains authenticity in both its fierce and tender registers. After two and a half minutes, I want to be in her world, as nonsensical as it may be.
[9]

Edward Okulicz: Bafflingly, nonsensically, completely compulsive and probably incredibly polarising alongside it. Never before has such gibberish been spouted with as much conviction, or with as many pleasing distractions behind it, almost as if you’re supposed to ignore the stupidity. I am more than willing to do this.
[8]

Dave Moore: This song has my number, and I won’t lie, I resent it for that. A little bit of Pinkerton confessional (Japanese children! Stream of consciousness shouting!), a little borderline non-sequitur novelty charm, a little straight-up nerd-rage, and a singer who codes “caustic and sarcastic but I relate to her and find her comments in my postmodern literature seminar refreshingly free of the usual bullshit”. Which is to say this song is telling a story about my life unrelated to the story it’s actually telling (which I think is about a guy or something), and it’s not a story that I necessarily like, but I recognize it. Not guilt, per se, but I suppose it’s about as close to a guilty pleasure as I’m going to get – a song that I like, whether I like it or not.
[6]

Additional Scores

Hillary Brown: [6]
Iain Mew: [7]
Jordan Sargent: [8]
Martin Skidmore: [5]