from
A Secret Public - b-sides & rarities 2001-2006,
track released September 6, 2004
Close-Cropped review
"A dull, dragging Thursday afternoon is suddenly enlivened by the unexpected arrival of a small, square, white package. Contained therein is a single by the lovely luxembourg, London pop noir quintet and part of the burgeoning New Cross/Angular Record scene. Oh joy! Suddenly the sky is a cloudless blue, the birds are twittering, and the sun beams down beneficently. Ok, so I'm actually in the office, but a little artistic licence doesn't hurt does it? The CD is in the player quicker than you can say "Jack Ro"!
The opening 5 seconds of Close-cropped are rather punky, rapidly giving way to the amusing jauntiness of David Shah's lustings; "I want your cracked lips, and I want your snake hips", "I'd let your three-day stubble tear across my cheek, I want to hold your hand until some time next week". It gambols along like a spring lamb,
Shah's voice as rich, smooth and inviting as a tub of Haagen-Dazs Toffee Creme, keyboards veering between Casio-pop and Star Wars, with the merest downbeat tinge of regret in the closing moments. Of course it's fantastic, and, but for the want of a record deal, has "HIT" writ large all over it.
Close-cropped is juxtaposed with the mellow melancholia of Mishandled, "first you give me a thrill, then you make me feel ill". A haunting, swirly-synthed gem, luxembourg are seemingly incapable of writing songs that are anything other than perfect."
Graham Slee, Soudsxp