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I have been slacking lately; thus, three today.

Good Shoes, "We Are Not The Same" - I'd nearly forgotten about Good Shoes' "Small Town Girl" up until Fluxblog posted it earlier this week, which is more than a little embarassing to admit considering the toweringly high regard in which I hold the song's staying power - a three-minute dose of unadorned yet gloriously-crafted guitar pop in the vein of Art Brut or the Buzzcocks (if not quite THAT great, of course), it's just a great example of the dividends a song can pay when it takes aim at being "good" rather than "breathtaking". But WOW, their new single, while still embodying the former, sure takes a running jump at the latter while it's at it; it's been a hot minute since I've found an indie rock song that snapped my neck to attention the way "We Are Not The Same" does but, well, yeah, here you go. The exciting thing, or at least "exciting" to dorxxx like me, is that Good Shoes now have at least two songs in 'em featuring undeniable Moments, namely the shimmering guitar bridge in "Small Town Girl" and the bit in the chorus of "We Are Not The Same" where all the drum fills drop out; there really isn't anything more invigorating that a pop song can do than suddenly become something else even if it doesn't become anything startlingly original, and I assume that most bands must just end up succumbing to the temptation to write Anthemic Choruses which inevitably only see the light of day in fourth-rate British car advertisements. Songs like "We Are Not The Same", on the other hand, may not have the commercial legs to effectively push Renaults out the door, but they're certainly good enough to soundtrack at least one of my days at work, and if "Small Town Girl" is any kind of measuring stick, it certainly won't be the last. So congradulations, Good Shoes, on making me the same kind of excited for your future as I've been for White Rose Movement and the Guillemots in the past - please be gentle, as I've been burned before. (Click here to buy the We Are Not The Same EP from Rough Trade. If you're on the fence, it's worth pointing out that this is one of those rare indie-rock EPs with quality b-sides, too.)

The Pigeon Detectives, "I'm Not Sorry" - But hey, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater, because here's the Pigeon Detectives' debut single "I'm Not Sorry" to redeem shoutalong choruses for us all over again. The operative agent here seems to be the double-tracked vocals, because lord knows it's hard enough to keep from howling along with sneering woundedness that scans as well as the "I'll never take it back/I'll never take it back" bit when there's just the one guy belting it out; a whole wall of people singing it borders on criminal levels of unfairness, especially when backed by a murderously relentless indie-disco beat. (The "I'm Not Sorry" single is long sold-out all over, but you can still buy Pigeon Detective songs on iTunes by clicking here to visit the store)

Larrikin Love, "It's A Long Way Home To Donegal" - And finally, could it really be called a Green Pea-Ness post without a guest appearance by Boy I Was Wrong About These Guys Because This New Song Of Theirs Sure Is Awful Fun To Listen To James? I'm not even saying I was wrong about Larrikin Love in this regard, since I may well be less tempted to ever listen to "Six Queens" than any other song I still physically own, but holy fuck, at least they turned into something weird enough to get my interest and good enough to hold it. I'm guessing that they should probably at least credit the Fairport Convention with the assist here since lord knows I'd have written this off as an attempt at affected folkie bullshit prior to waking up to Sandy Denny last week, but hey, however I ended up at "It's A Long Way Home To Donegal", I'll deal with it - it swells and rolls with all the pomp of a Decemberists song, only with more of an eye towards being catchy and sing-along-y than "accomplished". The fiddle-driven rave-up at the end, of course, is just the icing on the cake. Anyway, a tremendous, noteworthy improvement - at the very least, now I have a band I can use like a weapon whenever I'm in the mood to condescendingly write off the Mystery Jets again. (Click here to buy the "Edwould" single from Rough Trade)