(Standalone single)
Once again, the UK charts graces us with an awful no. 1. Actually, that is harsh. There is something going on here, but let's face it; this song sold on it's easiness-of-turning-into-a-ringtone-ability, not it's Jamaican jazz-funk, disco, techno production values and quality as a dance record. it was released on 7" vinyl for goodness sake...there's clearly more to this than it seems...
Ok, so that opening line is annoying as hell, and you instantly want to punch whoever sang it. The following dancey rap will annoy you as well, but it gets better toward the initial blast of sax riffs, which have been meticulously arranged and sequenced by none other than Trevor Horn, legendary record producer of "Video Killed The Radio Star" fame (and performer in the latter case, also). I'm going to be fair though, this isn't a Buggles comeback - it's nowhere close to "Living In The Plastic Age" or "Elstree" as a classic keyboard driven record...who could ever hope to come close in replicating those classics?
Admittedly, there's a throwback to the stereotypical 80s style here with the electric pink sleeve, and the vinyl, and indeed, this isn't a pop record - it is indie - the lack of lyrical content and the heavy focus on the sound, as well as the ancient disc format - all the indie characteristics are here.
This is actually a quality dance record, and the synth sound effects have been perfectly executed, so production-wise, Horn's up to his old tricks (almost). But, it's the reaction to the song that get's Sam and the Womp a negative spin on their latest output - as an indie record, it belongs in the bottom 25, with all the other remotely decent records. Very good pop songs are allowed no. 1, lest they should reach it, as they rarely do. Indie records though, shouldn't get that much coverage, and you can tell, straight away from the offhand annoyance caused by the vocalist and the at-first screechy trumpets, very few people bought this song based on it's songwriting merits.
So it's ok. But it's just bloody annoying. The no. 1 nearly always is. You almost don't want tracks to reach no. 1 anymore, just in case they get represented as irritating. If Crazy Frog isn't proof of this, then what is?
★★
Versions of "Bom Bom"
Single Version - 2:55