The slickness of the Long Blondes' new-ish Couples surely surprised fans of last year's brilliantly bitter Someone to Drive You Home. Leader Kate Jackson remains a revelation, though, divulging keenly observed emotions-“Everything I touch/Lightning trails of human lust”-over tasteful Blondie-via-Pulp strains of Brit pop. The dance factor may have shot up noticeably, but the one-two punch of “I Liked the Boys” and “Here Comes the Serious Bit” revives the first album's incessant anthem-making. Couples closes with the six-minute “I'm Going to Hell,” an ambitious ode to living badly and loving every second. It certainly whets the appetite for catching Jackson's strutting and swooning live, where the two sides of the Long Blondes should provide a solid middle ground.
Tue., June 3, 7 p.m., 2008
