3 out of 5

Label: VX Records

Producer: Vaux?

50% new material, one legitimately good remix.  Not a bad ratio for a single.  Still, ‘Cocaine James’ does somewhat have the feeling of a dumping ground, neither new track really a highlight.  However, the juxtaposition of material is interesting: ‘Cocaine’ is definitely one of the harsher tracks on the album, and here it’s paired with two relatively quieter, more Radiohead-y things, particularly ‘Headfirst,’ which has lead singer Quentin doing his Thom Yorke croone over twinkly guitars, a la ‘Need to Get By’ or ‘The Last Report From…’ on ‘Beyond Virtue.’  Alas, the clarity of the lyrics exposes Smith’s somewhat obvious imagery, which feels thinner when it’s not being screamed and shouted.  But this criticism applies to the full album as well.

More interesting is ‘No Rebates,’ which takes some chances with instrumentation that would probably have felt a little out of place on the rather glossy ‘Virtue.’  There are some interesting ideas kicking around the track, but they never quite build beyond the initial pitch.

The ‘W.G.A. Sex And Violence Mix’ of ‘Cocaine James’ is pretty cool, reminding me of the deconstruction of Nine Inch Nails tracks found on their better singles – latching onto a core element (here, the vocal line) and breaking the beat and guitars up around it to truly turn it into a different tune.  The pieces become a bit too complicated when the mix goes for some Aphex Twinnery toward the track’s climactic yelly part, but its brought back around with a solid beat again to close it out.  Worth listening to to get a different perspective (or to be able to understand) on the lyrics, as well as to be able to walk away from the track with a moodier vibe than its original hardcore format offers.