Fight Like Apes – Lend Me Your Face

Lend Me Your Face is the first UK single from the new Fight Like Apes album. What struck me immediately about this one minute and fifty three seconds ditty is that the song title, Lend Me Your Face, is repeated twenty five times. That wouldn’t usually bother me, but when it gets to the point that it feels as if somebody is standing trying to drill a giant hole into the side of my head whilst shouting “Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face!”, then it does start to get irritating. I’m sitting writing this with an appalling hangover, which may account for the irritability factor here, but in all seriousness I could be in the most tranquil, placid and healthy of spirits and this, “Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face!” over and over again would still drive me to a horrifically heinous crime. I can imagine the phrase taking over my life, and when I’m standing accused in the dock I’m sure I’ll be able to get an insanity plea as I stand in my paper suit screaming, “Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face!”, over and over again at the judge and jury.

This is basically shouty obnoxious pop, in the vein of a sleazier unpolished Ting Tings. With synth overload and aggressive drumming, the Dublin band do have the basis of a good tune, but that is completely negated by the overwhelming urge to kill myself which is brought on by the monotony of “Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face! Lend Me Your Face!”. The sneering, vicious feminist lyrics aren’t my bag and probably have more in common with Valerie Singleton than Valerie Solanas. All in all a decent tune ruined by pointless repetition and annoying un-catchy vocals.


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