This week, Matt gets bored with electroclash and takes it out on Dirty Vegas.

The Libertines – Up The Bracket (Rough Trade)
First up, the title track from The Libertines’ debut album, Up The Bracket. They’re cheeky cockneys and they sound like it. As British as a fish ‘n’ chip supper with Ray Davis, the album was produced by Mick Jones from The Clash who’s infused them with the sound of late 70s punk. He probably taught them to gob properly too. It’s raw, melodic and damn fine.

Camp Actor – Ultrafashion/Antifashion (Press Industries)
Camp Actor are the latest act to elbow their way into the overcrowded 80s revivalist scene, although the press release makes great pains to stress they’re electro, but definitely not clash, which is obvious if you’ve bothered to listen to it. Obviously not a smidgen of clash. Although I’m getting a bit bored of this whole Gary Numan thang, this lot pull it off. The double A-side is released as a limited 12-inch only.

Gus Gus – Dance You Down (Underwater Records)
Does nobody listen to me? Icelanders Gus Gus make a return and have gone a bit, yep you guessed it, electroclash. Groan. But actually this ain’t bad either. Since their conception in 1995 when they had 12 members, they’ve released three albums and carelessly lost eight of the original line-up. They’re now signed to Darren Emerson’s Underwater Records, and Dance You Down precedes their new Underworld-esque album, Attention.

Amon Tobin – Verbal (Ninja Tune)
Ninja’s breakbeat guru is back, following up his Permutation album with the Out From Out Where LP in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we’ve got Verbal to keep us occupied. Featuring Decimal R, it comprises dark brutal breaks, acoustic guitars and vocals that sound very Prodigy. Although it’s at least 42 times better than Baby’s Got A Temper. But then that’s easy.

Dirty Vegas – Days Go By (Parlophone)
This week’s JJ72 award for complete toss, goes to Dirty Vegas for the bland pretentious nonsense that is Days Go By. Its only redeeming feature is that the vocals are distorted by a vocoder, and that’s certainly not good. These boys don’t really deserve any mention, but since they’re big in the States I feel it’s my duty to warn you to steer well clear of them. The yanks have been well and truly duped. MW 26 September 02