A long term lover of Kid Harpoon I firmly believe that he deserves recognition for his impassioned talent and innovative music. Unfortunately that often means diluting the concentrated genius we have come to expect.
Stealing Cars is much more mainstream that previous offerings, and just doesn’t offer the same depth of quirkiness. It can’t be because the topic is not one Tom has experience of – as anyone who has listened to Kid Harpoon knows, the lyrics are homegrown, and as anyone who knows Tom’s home area of Medway knows, it’s a bit pikey.

This is not to say that Stealing Cars is a rapid departure. The same flexing rhythms of guitar cradle the summery soft vocals and the animated melodies continue to be beguiling. However, it just lacks the impact of his other material – the pounding end of Riverside still releases more endorphins than any amount of Ecstasy. Definitely a nod towards the charts (there’s even a La Roux et al esque 80s style synths crescendo), hopefully Stealing Cars will grab people and drive them straight into Kid Harpoon’s box, where there is a wealth of good music to find and good times to have.

By Francesca Baker

Rating: 6/10
Release Date: Out Now
Format: Single
Label: XL