Excitingly, Left With Pictures, everyone’s favourite London-based-alt-chamber-folk-classical-pop band, are in the process of making their debut album for Organ Grinder Records, as de facto frontman Stuart Barter informed us back in May. Whilst the album is a little way off yet, to keep up our anticipation levels, that label have seen fit to bestow upon us another single to follow up the rather wonderful double A-side that was “Every Stitch, Every Line” / “Her Father’s Nose”.
That, obviously, is good news. The less good news is that this new single comprises literally just one song, will be available only on download, and is “1, 2, 3… Go!” which originally appeared on the band’s 2006 EP Making Chalk, which is still available on CD. Luckily, the release is saved from redundancy by the fact that this is a significantly new version of the song, which is far better produced than it was originally.
And originally, the annoying-to-type “1, 2, 3… Go!” was a pretty much perfect slice of LWP goodness anyway. The first track of Making Chalk, it’s an early but still deeply entertaining formative song, paving the way for the heights the band have reached recently. The new version, however, is far superior, making the old one sound almost languid. Synths are much more prominent on this song than many LWP cuts, and here they sound better than ever. The piano-based melody is enormously bouyant and fun, and there are some lovely “ba-ba-ba” old-timey backing vocals to boot. As you’d expect, the wry but affectingly cute and English lyrics are in place – “I must keep up my double standards / like a new Stonehenge”.
There’s no doubt that the essential nature of this release is in serious question – but as a tiny taste of what this unique band do, it makes an ideal tester. If you like what you hear here, you know it’s worth investing in the rest of the band’s work, as well as being on tenterhooks like the rest of us for that debut album.
“1,2,3… Go!” is released via Organ Grinder on 17th August. The band are set to play their biggest headline show to date at London’s prestigious Bush Hall, this Friday (31st July). Click here for further details.
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