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Born Ruffians - I Need A Life

‘I need a life’ is an anthem about modern life; the anaemic, the drunken and the ugly. But for all that, it is not particularly brilliant; just another “nu-rave” single that sounds like it was recorded live with a good audience compensating for the slightly rubbish band. The rhythm will get you bouncing along, even if the music itself makes you recoil in horror. The guitar fails miserably to give any body to the song, making it more an ugly ensemble • although the bass and drums are both fairly strong.

The great ‘oh but we go out at night’ call and response bit it pretty fun; just the thing for a drunken night out, but not really the thing to stay in and listen to. The vocals are never very strong, but if you want a laugh, listen to the B-side ‘Tadpole’ (I think). It is not brilliant, but there is a brilliantly exposed vocal, which is more suited to their raw acoustic.