Johnny Foreigner - Salt, Peppa And Spinderella

If you’re in the mood to proclaim ‘We Waited Up Til It Was Light’ as the most fun album of 2008 so far, and some of us certainly are, then it’s probably a fair bet that ‘Salt, Peppa And Spinderella’ marks the moment you realised that JoFo were a tiny bit special.

After all, it takes a touch of greatness to make a single that’s ever-so-slightly stripped back yet wonderfully immediate. Removing guitar and bass from the equation for most of it’s three and a bit minute running time, we’re left with vocal gymnastics that would otherwise fight it out with a twelve foot high wall of noise. Keeping possession of a stick in the head melody for just long enough, there’s a quick left turn and soon it’s all spoken words and climaxing mayhem as the kitchen sink suddenly lands back through the ceiling.

Like bringing up goosebumps then blowing them away with a quick blast of noise, there’s never a moment of doubt that Johnny Foreigner have produced a single straight from the top drawer. Conventional it isn’t, but brilliant all the same.