The Ting Tings

We Started Nothing (2008)

December 20, 2008

** 1/2 / ****

By Mr. Marlowe

The odd dichotomy with The Ting Tings is that in theory they are very much the type of band I enjoy: British, new wave obsessed, minimalist, and good for dancing. In practice, however it is rather obvious that they aren’t very good and merely write short, catchy jingles rather than involved dance pop music. As was sort of stated in The Catcher in Rye, the J.D. Salinger novel not the Guns N’ Roses song, they’re fine for a throw but I’ll pass on them staying all night.

Then came my research…

For six months I searched for exactly whom The Ting Tings cribbed their hit single, That’s Not My Name. And after those six months I have arrived without a just conclusion. Is it Toni Basil’s Mickey? Something from Throwing Muses? The Raincoats? Maybe I heard the cheerleaders in Bring It On! do this routine? Whatever the case, without a proper answer I must relent: The Ting Tings may be blatantly derivative, horribly repetitive, and occasionally just plain annoying but they aren’t rip-offs.

What The Tings Tings are is a singles band through and through. A one trick singles pony, no doubt but I’ll be damned if that pony isn’t still performing rather well almost a year into the fact. Indeed, the minimalist duo with the squeaky screechy leading lady don’t offer many tricks or diversity to their program but when the handful of decent singles remain worthwhile even after getting attached to damn near every commercial on television it is a must concession that the band’s debut album isn’t nearly as bad as surely must be.

So here’s my compromise: I will refrain from any more music snobbery while happily admitting that Shut Up and Let Me Go and Be The One are a fun dance pop song and a delicate slice of indie rock goodness, respectively. We Started Nothing certainly isn’t going on any critic’s Best Of… list but a few of the singles undoubtedly deserve mention as some of the catchiest, most fun songs of the year.

Best Songs: Shut Up and Let Me Go, Be The One, That’s Not My Name