BLACK BOX RECORDER

England's Black Box Recorder are often compared with St. Etienne, but that's crap. Most likely, that error is made because BBR singer Sarah Nixey's elegantly icy vocals do bear some resemblance to St. E's Sarah Cracknell's (though one might just as easily invoke Yaz's Alison Moyet).

Bottom line: while I've always found the bulk of St. Etienne's music to be airy to the point of pointlessness, Black Box Recorder's efforts have always had a tangible gravity and tang to them. Thus, I think it's much more accurate to insert them somewhere along the continuum between Pulp and Goldfrapp.

Arch lyrics... deadpan delivery... very, very British... sounds good to me....

[MP3] [left-click] "These Are the Things" [from the LP Passionoia, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "Goodnight Kiss" [from the LP The Facts of Life, 2000]

[MP3] [left-click] "Swinging" [from the LP England Made Me, 1998]

[MP3] [left-click] "Brutality" [from the LP The Worst of Black Box Recorder, 2001]