We Started Nothing - Music (Ting Tings)

The debut album by Salford's The Ting Tings comes hot on the heels of their No.1 single "That's Not My Name", a nugget of pop gold that comes on like a genetic splicing of Toni Basil's "Micky" and The Knack's "My Sharona". The bulk of We Started Nothing follows a similar formula, navigating a path between the smart, angular indie of CSS, Bonde Do Role, et al and the pop mainstream. Here and there, they pull it off perfectly: the stutter-rap of "Fruit Machine" sees vocalist Katie White leading on some poor sap with sultry charisma and lip-gloss sass, while the excellent "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is snappy dance-punk in the spirit of Blondie's "Rapture" or Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love". Elsewhere, they branch out with mixed results. "We Walk" builds from quiet flourishes of piano into a surprisingly steely manifesto: "Smash the rest up/Burn it down/Put us in the corner cause we're into ideas", sneers White. Rather less good is "Traffic Light", a light, jazzy number that employs a number of somewhat forced driving metaphors to describe a relationship hit the skids. Still, it's a debut with promise, and a string of good singles is nothing to be sniffed at. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews of We Started Nothing

Kerry Marsh
London
9th October 2008

Fun
I can't believe I bought this. When I first heard the Ting Ting's I thought they were dreadful. It sounded like really naff cheesy pop. And it is, but it's also very catchy and I have to admit I like it. The more I hear it the more it grows on me. It's not cool to like it, but that doesn't mean it's not okay to like it. It's just probably best not to admit it to people when you first meet them. That's Not My Name is probably the best pop tune of the year for me.

Hotpurplekoolaid
ECD, Guyana
4th October 2008

A guilty pleasure Ting
This is a fun, funky and successful debut from the hot UK group with the onomatopoeic name. All the songs are original material, written and composed by the fresh and fabulous duo, and it's a great pity that the album is so short.

Turn on the radio at any time of the day, and before long you're probably going to hear either of the two really big singles from this album, or both of them. The single "Shut Up and Let Me Go" recently won the MTV Video Music Award for "Best UK Video", the other hot single being "That's Not My Name". "Great DJ" is yet another single, with "Be the One" scheduled for release soon. I recently received some PepsiStuff Points to buy an MP3 download from Amazon, and I had no hesitation in picking "Shut Up and Let Me Go"

Most of the tracks are cool, catchy and current, and although you can't honestly say that the lyrics are either deep or profound, you'll remember the infectious beats and at least you'll be able to sing along while you're dancing.

Fans of Brit pop will enjoy this album, but there are a couple of tracks that were just a little too trippy for my liking. Other than the singles mentioned above, you should also try "Keep Your Head" and "We Walk".

Buy the singles, if not the album, and prepare to shake your groove Ting.






Amanda Richards

Hugh Evans

22nd September 2008

Don't knock it until you've tried it...
It's not that bad I suppose. The main flaw this album carries is that most of the songs sound the same: the structure, rhythm, vocals and instruments have very little variation between tracks. Unfortunately this tends to be the case with a lot of Indie Pop albums, but I won't go into that.

I think the standout track on the album is probably the single "That's Not My Name" (which, to be fair, is probably why people buy the album). It's fun and catchy, although We Walk has quite a nice chorus as well. Mind you, because of the similarities throughout the album, if you love one of the songs you'll probably love the album, and the reverse if you loathe one of the songs.

Overall though I would have to say that I feel that the album will begin to bore people after a few plays. This music is probably best handled one song at a time, so if you're not buying this to fill space on your Ipod then perhaps just buy a single.

R. Essery
Monmouth, UK
20th September 2008

A shake up for all the boring British bands of the moment
OK lets cut to the chase. I was brought up with punk and I can say that the Ting Tings are the best thing that can happen to the over serious, retentive British music industry at the moment. They are quirky, fun and yes original. They are the perfect cure for the boring navel gazing crap that appears from bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs, the Killers, Babyshambles and most particularly the musically inept Artic Monkeys and the arrogant but retentive Kasabien.

The reason I like the Ting Tings is because I am fed up with listening to the dirges produced by the bands named above (and others). Its boring!

Oh and if you want to see hype in action - look at Coldplay - utterly bland and the whole group takes themselves far to seriously. Next thing Chris Martin will be like Bono from U2 giving us lectures about global warming and other subjects he knows nothing about.

I have heard that Chris Moyles from Radio One does not like the Ting Tings and that for me is about the best recommendation I have for buying this CD.

Stu
North Wales.
2nd September 2008

punky!!!!
On first listen this reminded me of very early 80's Culture Club beats with early Kim Wilde vocals mixed with loads of funk!! Then it hit me, that The Ting Tings are a reincarnated Transvision Vamp, with the punky / rocky edge!! It's gonna take a few listens to get me hooked but the tracks Great DJ, the huge No.1 single That's Not My Name and Shut Up And Let Me Go are so full of attitude and funk they over-power everything else what's on the cd - worth a listen definately - not a bad cd, and they sound like nothing else around at this moment in time.