Hazeldine - "Tarmac" b/w "Apothecary"

You don't usually encounter such wonder from bands so young, bands just putting out their first single. More often than not, the 7-inch is a hint of greater things to come, or merely a sidelighting curiosity. But the two sides here are, quite frankly, two of the better songs I've heard all year, by anyone. Singer Shawn Barton's voice is rich with sensuous melody, and her bandmates set a distinctive mood behind her with music that's not too polished and not too ragged -- a perfect balance inbetween. The immediate hook is "Tarmac", an upbeat, jangly rocker that begins with a classic opening line, "This town forgets to draw its blinds," setting the scene for the carnal revelations to come. And while I'm slightly concerned that the line "Fuck me like Batman" might cause them to be rated as Liz Phair sex-shock-value knockoffs, ultimately the song is so catchy that I don't really care. Still, the more affecting tune here is actually the B-side, a quieter, brooding, slowly burning tune that features equally alluring but less overt lines such as "Smoking cigarettes / You buckle in behind me." And when Barton howls "Holllld awwwwnnnnn" near the end of the tune, the effect is pure emotion, which is as it should be on a truly great song. You just don't expect to hear bands finding that groove so early on. Hazeldine has.