It's good to get a CD-R in the post with no manifesto but its own opening song.
Track 1, "we now have the voice of reaction in stereo", is sleeve-noted as "being some sort of manifesto".
It’s especially good when a voice heckles "Oh no! They're political!" from the other side of the flat/room/kitchen/shed where it was recorded (in Brighouse). BLAH BLAH TIN are crusty young men with a mutual love of THE FALL and enough self knowledge not to be unconscious of or fazed by the admirable fact.
These nine tracks are full of the joy of homemade clattery tunes. They are done well enough to be fun and not so well that they simper "buy me!". There are bits of samples, keyboard, bass, drum machine and guitar quirking about to good and varied effect. Sung, spoken and shouted voices keep up a stream of dolefully funny complaint and cheerfully angry conscience pricking.
The range is a delight too. Personal health regimes (more fruit?), local council planning applications. (more Consumer Experiences in Leeds?) National political party leaders (get that into your sun-dried tomato head!) Careerists (just say no) and adolescent naivety of the pop and roll business (Steve Lamacq never got back to you?) – all this plus "Sex With Snakes" which I hope I didn't understand. There's scorn for the glossy and there's affection for the tawdry. What really makes this a hidden treat is the sharp intelligence behind each of the songs. The targets are precision picked and neatly punctured.
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So. Make a note to self: "be ready to pay attention when a rumour of BLAH BLAH TIN hits town". No Myspace (you gotta be joking – with the Foule Fiende himself at the helm?) No web site. No label. No style. What a joy.
Try Bit Torrent or try Limewire. Type "blah blah tin". Who knows. If you can’t get this demo, join one near you and shout yourself stupid.
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