GG – What The Critics Said

The first single from our album, GG, was released for free a couple of months ago on the internet, and has recently come out as a split single with Woodenbox and a Fistful of Fivers.

Though it may seem a strange choice of song to introduce folk to the album, we saw it as an opportunity to challenge people's expectations and provide a gateway for the mainstream to our unconventional sound.  

The critical reaction was mixed; in case you're interested I've got here a little digest of everything that was said.  Everything, that is, except the one from the Sunday Mail, which managed to appear positive without actually saying anything at all.

Dauphinmag.com seemed very excited, and despite some fairly unflattering comparisons (The Kooks and The Big Pink?) they dubbed it “a pretty excellent pop song.”  High regard for Sean’s lovely voice, and the assertion that “GG is an excellent, optimistic debut single that outguns anything I hear in the charts right now.”  Big praise, though we were especially relieved to hear that “it’s not a compromised Faustian pact.”  Dodged a bullet there.  Anyway - cheers guys.  Very kind.

Less warm was the response from The Edinburgh Reporter who seemed pleasantly surprised, if a little confused: “I was told a year or two back that White Heath…were sort of proggy.  If the new single is anything to go by, it would seem I was lied to.”  Don’t worry pal: the album versions got dragons on it an all.  Anyway, because of this they decided to sit pretty much on the fence, urging people to download it with the idea that “it’s only about two minutes long so if you hate it then you don’t have much to endure.”  Saying this, they did also mention that “GG is fun” and that “it contains synths.”  Well, what more do you people want?

The List took a similar vibe, awarding us three stars and calling it “gently tuneful guitar based indie.”  THE SHAME OF IT.

And then the Bluesbunny came along and blamed it all on Jim.  “A remarkably ordinary song from a remarkably inventive band. Apparently it was produced by some guy who produced Aberfeldy. Or maybe some guy who produced Biffy. Or some guy who thought that aiming a talented band at the stars wasn’t as good an idea as aiming them at the swamp of mediocrity.”  Ouch.  Bluesbunny!  I’m not sure what’s worse: the idea that we’re in a swamp, or that the swamp is so damn awful that he doesn’t believe we could have been dumb enough to dive in of our own volition.  It’s our bloody song!  The gentleman did, however, award us three carrots, so we won’t starve.

But it’s a fine-ass tune: download it here for free.  Next time I will tell you the tale of our new single 7:38am.  It’s totally awesome too.  Till then-

ROCK AND ROLL!